


A Broken Wing

by Starfur373



Category: The Walking Dead - All Media Types
Genre: Angst
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-07-07
Updated: 2015-10-14
Packaged: 2018-04-08 03:07:19
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 31
Words: 58,050
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4288395
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Starfur373/pseuds/Starfur373
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>High School AU. Carol has just gotten out of an abusive relationship with Ed Peletier, the most popular guy in school and captain of the football team. When Daryl Dixon is fostered by the Grimes family and moves into town, he’s the only one who notices the faded bruises and scars that Carol tries so hard to hide. In time, can he help her to heal from her wounds and leave Ed in the past? And in return, can she help him overcome his own demons?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Hello again! Thank you to everyone who left such sweet reviews on my last story. I hope you all enjoy this one as well, although I will admit it won't be nearly as fluffy as that one was.... Quite the opposite, really. I've never really been one for angst, so I'm challenging myself a bit with this. Regardless, I hope you all enjoy! My second story ever.... here we go! :)

Daryl Dixon picked angrily at his crossbow, his split knuckles still aching slightly from the wall he’d punched only a couple of hours earlier. He hated this foster life, hated the way that each new foster family fixed him with that same look, made him those same empty promises that always fell short. It was the same damn thing every time; why should this Grimes family be any different? Oh, they have a son the same age as you. Yep, so did that one family about a year ago, and the other boy had hated Daryl so much he’d tried to slip him a hefty dose of sleeping pills. They live in a really great area, you’re going to love it there. Yep, you said that about the last five families and the last one lived in a fucking trailer park. You’re going to make so many new friends in school. Bullshit. If there was one thing that Daryl knew he was no good at, it was making fucking friends. Daryl didn’t need anyone in his life to care about him or to be his damn friend. All he needed was his crossbow and some shelter for when it rained. Aside from that, he could survive on his own. Hell, that’s what he’d been doing until child services found him out in the woods two years ago and brought him in. 

His father had run off again. He didn’t bother to tell either Daryl or Merle where he was going, and he didn’t bother sending any damn postcards, either. He just up and left. Merle had gotten mixed up with the wrong sort of crowd and was in some serious shit when the cops picked him up for possession. He’d been stuck in the slammer ever since. And Daryl, at the ripe young age of 15, had grabbed his crossbow and a small backpack filled with whatever provisions he could find and headed off into the woods to fend for himself. When he didn’t show up for school, the principal had sent damn child services out to look for him. It took them over two weeks to find him, but eventually they managed to cut off all his escape routes and they had him cornered, bringing him in for a new life of foster care. Daryl hated everything about this new life of his, and he persistently tried to run away from each and every new foster family that dared to take him in. His longest lasting family to date had lasted about six months, until they’d finally gotten tired of his “angry redneck shit” as they’d put it, and sent him off packing the few possessions he had, moving on to the next group of sorry schmucks that got stuck with him. 

He wanted to feel bad. Really, he did. Some of these families seemed like good people. He didn’t want them to suffer any sort of distress over his stupid ass, but he couldn’t seem to help it. It was just in his nature. He was angry and bitter and brought the term “reserved” to a whole new level. He never let anyone get close, and these foster families were no exception. He pushed and pushed and pushed them all away until finally they stopped pushing back, letting him go altogether. Daryl preferred it that way, firmly believing that he was better off on his own, and that he didn’t need anyone else in his life. He knew he could manage just fine by himself.

“Daryl?” 

Daryl glanced up silently. He was still sitting outside on the Grimes’ front porch, fiddling with his crossbow while he cursed out child services and foster care under his breath. Lost in his own angry thoughts, he hadn’t even noticed Mrs. Grimes come outside to see him. She held a plate of what smelled like chicken in her hand. 

“It’s time for dinner,” she told him gently. “I know you don’t want to come inside just yet, so I thought maybe you’d like to eat out here.” She set the plate down gently on the porch beside him, along with a glass of lemonade. “If you aren’t hungry, then you don’t have to eat it, but it’s there if you want it. Is there anything else you needed me to get for you?” 

Daryl glanced up at her through the shaggy hair that fell down into his eyes. She was a tall, slender woman with soft brown curls that fell down to her shoulders. She seemed like a kind woman, and Daryl bit back the rude retort he’d been planning to fling at her. She wasn’t pushing him, which was different from his previous foster families, and he appreciated that. He shook his head silently.

“Okay. Well, if you change your mind, I’ll just be inside in the living room. Just let me know if you need anything. And if you’d like to see your room, I can show you where that is. You just let me know when you’re ready.” With a small smile she turned and silently slipped back inside the house, leaving Daryl alone with his thoughts. Usually, the families that took him in were hell-bent on discipline and falling into line with everything they said. But so far, the Grimes family had been exactly the opposite. When Daryl had refused to enter their home, they’d allowed him to sit stubbornly on the front porch to sulk. They didn’t pressure him to come inside, and hell, Mrs. Grimes hadn’t even pressured him to eat his fucking dinner. 

This was new. This was very new. He remembered the uptight child services lady telling him that he’d be the first foster child the Grimes family had ever taken in, so Daryl had been expecting this to be his worst foster experience yet. Suffice it to say, he was pleasantly surprised to find that these Grimes folks weren’t actually all that bad. That didn’t necessarily mean that he liked them or that he was happy to be living with them, but as Daryl took a bite of his chicken, he decided that they weren’t all bad.

*****

Carol had nearly done a backflip the day that Ed Peletier had asked her out. He was easily the most popular and attractive boy in the entire junior class, and he was co-captain of the school’s football team. Carol, president of several school clubs and a perfect, straight-A student hadn’t ever really noticed him looking at her before. She’d looked at him, just as every other girl in their high school had, but she’d never in her wildest dreams hoped that the captain of the freaking football team would ever ask her out, of all people. She was convinced that there were far prettier girls in school than her, far more popular girls, so when Ed had asked her out for pizza and ice cream, she’d gone home that day and called her best friend Michonne squealing in excitement. 

The excitement carried over for the next few weeks, as Carol and Ed went out on several more dates. He’d started holding her hand and kissing her in public, claiming that he wanted to let the whole school know that she was his. Carol just thought he was the absolute sweetest boyfriend ever. 

But then one night, everything had changed. They’d gone to a party at Abraham Ford’s house, and Ed had gotten very drunk. He’d grabbed Carol roughly by the arm, taking her into a bedroom upstairs where he told her he wanted to make love to his girlfriend. Carol, realizing he’d been far too drunk to know what he was doing, had tried pushing him away. She’d told him she didn’t want to move too fast, that she thought they should wait. But in his drunken haze Ed had pinned her down on the large bed, and in the end he’d gotten his way. He left her lying in the bed, sore and bruised and bleeding, as he went off to vomit and pass out in the bathroom. She’d cried for hours, praying to God or anyone who would hear her to make it all stop. She just wanted to wake up, safe and sound in the comfort of her bed and realize that this had all been a terrible dream. Ed would never do these things to her. Ed was sweet and kind and he cared about her. No way could this be real. But as she continued to lie there and nothing happened, the reality of her situation settled in. Drying her tears and desperately trying to clean herself up, Carol had pulled her clothes back on straight and headed home, where she took a long and painful shower, noticing all the bruises Ed’s tight grip on her had left behind. 

When she saw him at school on Monday, he remembered roughly what had happened, but clearly not in the way that Carol remembered it. He described it as their “first ever love-making session” and he told her how happy he was that she was now officially his. 

Carol gradually convinced herself that he meant that, that he hadn’t really wanted to hurt her. He’d been too drunk to know what he was doing, and that was the only reason why he’d hurt her. 

But his grip on her arm never softened again. Their next “love-making sessions” were no gentler than the first time, and Ed was no longer the sweet, kind boyfriend he was before. 

“Did you gain weight?” he asked one day at lunch, in front of his entire lunch table filled with cheerleaders and football players whose names she could never remember. She’d grown more self-conscious during those months, nibbling only on salad during lunch and covering herself up with large sweaters to conceal the bruises and scratch marks on her arms. One time she’d pointed out these marks and bruises to Ed, but he’d merely shrugged them off as him “marking his territory” and “letting the world know that she was claimed”. Carol had believed him when he said that, telling herself over and over that this was just who Ed was, and this was what it was like to be with him. He was, after all, the most popular boy in school, a fact which he constantly reminded her of almost every day, and she was lucky to have him as her boyfriend. Before him she’d been nothing, a quiet little goody-goody, who got good grades but didn’t have many friends. Now, because of Ed, she was someone who everyone in school knew and recognized, and he was constantly reminding her of how grateful she should be to have a man like him in her life. 

At that point, Carol had learned to just stop questioning him. Whenever she spoke up against him his grip just tightened on her arm, and he asked if she needed to be reminded who was in charge in their relationship. She would shake her head silently, apologizing and telling him that of course he was right. She’d slowly learned to accept that this was her life now, this was what it was to be with Ed, and it would just be better for her to silently go along with what he said so he wouldn’t hurt her any worse than he already was. 

But she still silently hoped and prayed every day for something to happen. She prayed for someone, anyone, to come along and save her from Ed. One night, in a fit of delirious tears, she’d prayed for God to send her an angel to swoop her away from Ed, protecting her from him. She knew it was crazy to pray for something like that, but she still held onto the hope that maybe one day she’d be safe from the cruelty and wrath of Ed Peletier. 

And, one day, it seemed as though all her prayers had been mercifully answered.

“I’m bored,” Ed had told her without any preamble. 

“What would you like to do, Ed?” Carol asked quietly. He always told her she talked too loud, and that no one liked an obnoxious girl so she should pipe down. Now she always spoke softly in general.

“No, no,” Ed grumbled. “I mean I’m bored of this. Bored of you.”

Carol stared at him in disbelief. “What do you mean?” she whispered breathlessly.

“I think I’m done here,” he said nonchalantly. “It’s summer, and you’re always coverin’ yourself up in those damn sweaters. I need me a new, hot girlfriend.” He picked lazily at something between his teeth. “No hard feelings or nothin’, yeah? You ain’t mine anymore. Go on and get out of here.”

“You’re serious?” Carol asked. “You’re…. breaking up with me?”

“Yeah,” Ed replied, scratching his stomach lazily. “So get out of here. ‘Bye.”

“O-Okay,” Carol stuttered, leaving as quickly as her legs would carry her. “Goodbye, Ed.” 

The entire break-up had all felt very surreal to her. One minute she was cowering in fear that she might do something stupid to piss Ed off, and the next he was setting her free. It all felt very bizarre, but at the same time it was liberating in a way that she couldn’t quite describe. 

After spending the latter half of her junior year in a relationship with Ed, Carol had the entire summer to readjust to life as a single girl. She slowly returned to normal eating habits, working other food groups back into her diet besides salad. She noticed herself looking healthier, and she began to feel slightly more confident in herself. But the sweaters still remained. She needed them to cover up the marks on her arms, the ones that refused to go away entirely. Some of the marks Ed had left behind had scarred, and some of the darker bruises were still yellowing and fading slowly. Every time Carol looked in the mirror and saw them, they served as a constant reminder of the person she’d been with him, the person she hoped she no longer was. With Ed she’d been quiet and reserved, completely cut off from everyone except for Ed. She’d taken the abuse without question, convincing herself that this was her life now. 

Thinking back on those months she’d spent with Ed, she was ashamed of herself. Ashamed of the way she’d let him walk all over her, of the way she’d simply taken the abuse, never fighting back or trying to get out of the relationship altogether. She didn’t do anything to stop Ed, and she hated herself for it every day. Those scars served as a constant reminder of what she’d allowed herself to endure, of the weakness she’d shown while she’d been with him. She still wondered what would have happened if she’d had the strength to fight him off, the strength to remove herself from such a toxic environment. She still cried herself to sleep over all the “what ifs”, running her fingers delicately over her slowly healing scars, telling herself that one day she would move past this. One day she would get back to the person she’d been before Ed, and she would be stronger than ever. One day.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you to everyone who's already read and left reviews on this story! I hope you all enjoy chapter 2! :)

Daryl had spent his first night with the Grimes family sleeping outside on their front porch. Mrs. Grimes had brought him a couple of blankets and a pillow, and he’d taken them silently. He didn’t sleep much, but it was still better than sitting up, awake and uncomfortable all night. 

The following morning, he decided he finally wanted to see this new house where he’d be living. He pushed open the front door slowly, setting down the blankets and pillows on a chair situated by the front door. He found Mrs. Grimes and her son in the kitchen, preparing scrambled eggs and bacon for breakfast. 

“Daryl!” Mrs. Grimes said with a warm smile. “I’m so glad you decided to come inside. Breakfast is almost ready if you’re hungry.” Daryl nodded silently, not really sure of what to say. He let his gaze travel over the house, taking in the perfectly clean furniture and the seemingly effortless way everything was neatly arranged. 

“I’m Rick,” the son said as Daryl made his way over to the kitchen. “I’m a senior at the high school just up the road. Just like you,” he said, offering him a small smile. Looks just like his mama, Daryl thought to himself. 

“Daryl,” he introduced himself with a gruff nod to Rick.

“I’ll show you where your room is if you’d like to put your crossbow and things in there,” Rick offered.

“Alright,” Daryl mumbled, wordlessly following Rick up the stairs to a closed door. Rick pushed it open and flicked on a light. Daryl blinked slowly as he gazed around himself. He’d never had an entire room to himself while living in foster care before, and yet there he stood, in his very own, pristine clean bedroom. 

“You should be comfortable here,” Rick told him. “My room is the one right across the hall, so you can let me know if you need anything. You’ve also got your own bathroom,” he added, indicating the slightly open door to his left. 

“Thanks,” Daryl said uncomfortably, glancing around at his surroundings. Everything was so damn clean, and he couldn’t shake the feeling that he must look incredibly out of place in this home. 

“No problem,” Rick said. “Breakfast should be on the table in about twenty minutes. You can either come downstairs to help mom and I finish making it, or you can meet us down there to eat. It’s up to you.” He turned to leave then, leaving Daryl standing alone in his own bedroom. He leaned his crossbow gently against the wall and plopped his ragged old bag onto his perfectly made bed. He made his way over to the bathroom, flicking on the light and gazing around inside. He had a small closet inside fully stocked with different sized towels as well as shampoo, soap, shaving cream – all the things typical teenage boys needed. Daryl thought to himself for a moment before deciding to take a shower. He moved quickly, and he was done in all of five minutes. As he towel dried his hair roughly, he caught a glimpse of his back in the mirror. He looked away quickly. He’d always been self-conscious of his scars, and the less he looked at them, the better. Pulling on a clean t-shirt, Daryl headed downstairs to meet the Grimes family for breakfast. 

Mrs. Grimes smiled at him when he entered the kitchen. “Daryl, you’re just in time,” she said. “You can sit wherever you would like.” She gestured to the table while she scooped out spoonfuls of scrambled eggs onto four plates. Mr. Grimes had also come into the kitchen, and he took his seat at the head of the table. Daryl moved slowly towards the table, calculating where he wanted to sit. Close to the door for an easy escape if he needed it? Next to Mrs. Grimes because she was nice? Next to Rick because he seemed alright? He watched and waited while Rick took a seat beside his father and Daryl decided to sit on Rick’s other side, sitting down hesitantly. Mrs. Grimes put plates of scrambled eggs and bacon in front of everyone as well as tall glasses of fresh apple juice. 

“Tuck in, everyone,” she said with a smile. “We’ve all got a big day ahead of us today. Daryl,” she said as she sat down gracefully. “We’re going to visit the high school with you today, if that’s alright. The child service folks were really set on getting you into school as quickly as possible. Are you okay with that?” She stared at him directly, waiting patiently for his answer. He could tell that, despite what child fucking services wanted, she was willing to do whatever he was comfortable with. If he didn’t want to go to school yet, she wouldn’t push him, and he appreciated that from her. 

“Guess I could go,” he mumbled awkwardly, picking up his fork.

“Excellent,” she said with a huge smile. “I’m so glad. Okay, we’ll leave in about half an hour. Hurry up and eat your eggs while they’re still hot, everyone.”

Roughly half an hour later, Daryl climbed into the backseat of Mrs. Grimes’ minivan to sit beside Rick. She drove them both to the high school in relative silence, and she walked inside while they met with the principal of the high school, a man named Dale Horvath according to the plaque on his office door. 

“Hello Daryl,” Principal Horvath said cheerfully, extending a friendly hand out for Daryl to shake. Daryl stared down at it for a moment, unsure of what to do, before glancing back up at the older man. “Anyway,” Principal Horvath said, clearing his throat and moving on brusquely. “I’m sure you’re going to love it here. Here is a copy of your schedule, and unless you have any questions, we can head off on the tour now.”

Daryl shrugged indifferently and followed the principal around the school. Rick had gone off to his first class, and Mrs. Grimes had left shortly before the tour began. At the end of it, Principal Horvath walked Daryl to his next class. 

“I trust you’ll love it here, Daryl,” he said. “If you have any questions or need anything at all, please don’t hesitate to stop by my office. My door is always open.” He turned, heading off down the hall. “Enjoy your first day!” 

Daryl forced himself not to roll his eyes. The old man had been friendly, but clearly he was fucking delusional. Daryl didn’t enjoy school, whether it was his first day or any other day. School was the place where he quietly sulked in the back row, got into trouble for not doing his homework, and got suspended for punching stupid people in the face. It wasn’t exactly a place that he enjoyed going to. 

With a heavy sigh, he pushed open the door of the classroom. May as well get this shit over with, he thought angrily. The teacher met him with a warm smile.

“You must be Daryl,” she said sweetly. “Welcome aboard! Today we’ll be working on a lab in the back of the room, so you can go ahead and take a seat beside your lab partner over there.” She gestured towards the back of the room, where a girl with curly hair and wearing a blue sweater was sitting by herself. 

“Great,” he mumbled sarcastically, heading towards the seat beside his lab partner. First fuckin’ day ‘n I already gotta deal with fuckin’ people, he thought irritably. He sat down awkwardly beside the girl who flashed him a shy smile. 

“Hi,” she said quietly. “I’m Carol.”

Daryl glared at her for a few moments before grumbling his name back at her. “Daryl.”

“It’s nice to meet you, Daryl,” she said, flashing him that same shy smile again. It was an odd smile, Daryl thought to himself. Her lips quirked up slightly, but her eyes told a different story. They were a beautiful shade of blue, but they looked dull and worn out, as if they’d shed too many tears. She was clearly hiding something behind those tragic blue eyes of hers, and Daryl wondered for a moment what it might be. 

“Here’s the paper we have to fill out,” Carol said shyly, sliding a paper across the table to him. “We basically just have to add different things to the beaker and record how the solution changes colors.”

Daryl nodded once, watching as Carol rolled up her sleeves slightly before reaching for the first beaker. He watched as the different colored liquids mixed together, changing color slowly. Carol began to write down her observations, and Daryl wrote down the same thing she wrote. 

“So, where are you from?” Carol asked quietly, swirling the next beaker around gently as the different colors mixed together.

“Nowhere,” Daryl grumbled stubbornly. Carol glanced over at him.

“Of course you’re from somewhere,” she said. When he didn’t say anything, she shrugged her shoulders. “Okay, we could not talk about that if you’d like. Why’d you move here?” she asked, marking something down on her paper. 

Daryl shrugged, not wanting to answer that question either. 

Carol sighed quietly. “Okay, fine,” she said softly. “What’s your favorite color?”

Daryl stared at her. “My what?” he asked in bewilderment. He’d been asked a million intrusive questions throughout his life, but no one had ever asked him that one before.

“Your favorite color,” Carol said simply. “Mine’s blue. So what’s yours?” 

Daryl thought for a moment. “Dunno,” he mumbled. “Never really thought ‘bout it. I guess green is cool. Or maybe black.”

“Black?” Carol asked. “That’s an interesting choice.”

“Why?” Daryl asked defensively. Fucking girl asked him his favorite color, now she was going to make fun of him for it?

“It’s just not one that a lot of people choose as their favorite,” she said simply. “So it’s interesting that you picked that one.”

“Said green, too,” he said gruffly.

“Green is nice, too,” she said, crossing something out on her paper. “Do you have a favorite shade of green?”

Daryl snorted loudly.

“What?” Carol asked, smiling at him. “Too complicated?”

“Green is fuckin’ green,” he replied gruffly. “’N I like green.”

Carol smiled shyly. “Okay. How about a favorite animal?”

“Now these questions are just gettin’ stupid,” he grumbled and much to his surprise, Carol giggled softly.

“They’re just basic questions,” she said kindly. As Daryl met her gaze, he noticed that something had shifted behind her eyes. The same pain was still clearly there, but there was just a hint of something else. He couldn’t quite figure out what it was, but he knew that he definitely wanted to see more of it.

Not that he wanted to look at her eyes for that long. Or that he was. Or was he? Fuck, he thought angrily, glancing down at his half-completed paper. What was it about those eyes of hers that had him so fascinated?

“So, what else would you like to talk about if you don’t want me asking anymore stupid questions?” she asked, casting him a sidelong glance as she poured something else into the beaker. 

“Dunno,” Daryl said, shifting awkwardly. “I ain’t really much of a talker.”

“Hmm, I’ve noticed,” Carol mused, swishing the beaker around gently. “But there must be something that gets you talking. Something you like a lot?” She glanced up at him expectantly. 

“Why d’you even care?” Daryl snapped at her, causing her to flinch away from him. He regretted the outburst instantly, seeing the hurt that flashed across her eyes. “Sorry,” he mumbled, glancing down at the table again.

“It’s okay,” she said quietly, playing with the sleeve of her sweater. “It’s your first day at a new school. You’re bound to be nervous.”

Daryl glanced over at her, trying to force a small smile. 

“So, have you met any other people yet?” she asked casually, turning back to the experiment.

“Just one,” he mumbled. She glanced at him expectantly. “Name’s Rick,” Daryl offered quietly.

“Rick Grimes?” she asked. Daryl nodded silently. “He’s really nice,” Carol said. “I’ve known him since kindergarten. His mom used to always bring us the best cookies. She’s such a sweet lady.”

“Yeah, she’s real nice,” Daryl mumbled, then stiffened. Fuck.

“You’ve met Rick’s mom already?” she asked, clearly confused. Then something seemed to click. “Oh,” she said quietly. “Rick said something last year about them looking to be foster parents.” She glanced over at Daryl. “That’s why you didn’t want to answer my questions earlier.” 

Daryl didn’t say anything. He stared stubbornly down at his hands, clenched tightly together in his lap, and he could feel his face burning. 

“I’m sorry, Daryl, I didn’t mean to pry,” she said gently. Daryl glanced up at her. Her blue eyes were wide as she stared at him and as he gazed into them, he couldn’t find it in himself to even be mad at her.

“’S okay,” he mumbled. “Ya didn’t know.” He offered her a small smile, and he was relieved when she returned it. He wasn’t sure why he cared so much, but he wanted her to know he wasn’t mad at her. He figured it must be that layer of pain behind her eyes that was drawing him in; it was the same one he saw in the mirror every day. 

They finished their work in silence and when the bell rang to signal the end of class, Carol and Daryl handed in their papers together. On the way out of the classroom, Carol turned to face him. 

“Well, it was really nice meeting you, Daryl,” she said softly. “I’ll see you around.”

Daryl offered her the smallest of smiles in return before heading off to find his next class. He couldn’t figure out why, but for some reason he couldn’t get her out of his head. He wondered what kind of suffering she’d had to endure, what she’d seen that had the ability to haunt her like that. He’d never seen that look in anyone’s eyes but his own before, and just knowing that there was somebody else out there who felt something similar to what he felt instantly caught his attention. No one else had ever managed to captivate him like this before, and Daryl begrudgingly found himself dwelling on that heartbreaking look of hurt in her eyes as he headed off to his next class.


	3. Chapter 3

When lunchtime rolled around, Carol headed for the table she shared with Michonne, Tara, and Maggie. Some days Maggie would drift over to Rick Grimes’ table to sit with her boyfriend Glenn, but today she was sitting beside Tara when Carol sat down. She was usually quiet during lunch, contributing only small comments to the ongoing conversation, but for the most part Carol usually listened to her friends as they chattered away. She still wasn’t used to the concept of people actually wanting to hear her opinion on things. 

“So, Glenn said apparently Rick Grimes’ family went through with the whole foster parent thing they wanted to do,” Maggie said. “Kid’s name is Daryl. Today’s apparently his first day.”

“Yeah, I met him,” Carol said quietly, playing idly with a pretzel. Everyone turned to look at her. “He was my lab partner in science class today,” she explained.

“So what’s he like?” Michonne asked eagerly. “Is he cute?”

“Um, he’s really reserved,” Carol said uneasily. “He didn’t really want to talk too much. But he seemed nice enough.”

“Yes, but is he cute?” Michonne asked eagerly. 

“Um, I didn’t really notice,” Carol said thoughtfully. “I mean, his eyes are really blue, and his hair’s a bit long. But I wasn’t really paying attention.”

“You were apparently paying attention enough to notice that his eyes are blue,” Tara pointed out. Carol rolled her eyes.

“I’m not exactly looking for a boyfriend, guys,” she said. “Especially since the last one worked out so well.”

“He was such an ass to straight up dump you like that,” Michonne said with a sigh. “I mean, who just gets bored of their girlfriend and moves on?”

You guys have no idea how awful he really was, Carol thought to herself. She hadn’t told anyone what Ed had put her through. She kept the truth to herself, not really sure how to go about talking about it. There were times where she’d wanted to tell Michonne. They’d been best friends since the third grade, and they always told each other everything. But this was something she just couldn’t bring herself to talk about. She didn’t even know how to bring it up. 

“Speaking of which, have you noticed how many girls have been fawning over him lately? Now that he’s a single, eligible bachelor?” Tara asked, her voice full of contempt as she spat out the last few words.

“Yeah, well, they should all save themselves the trouble and go find a guy who’s actually nice, and who knows the right way to treat a girl,” Carol mumbled. 

“Maybe that’s what we should be doing for you,” Michonne said eagerly, sitting up straight. “If we find you a nice boyfriend, it could help you to get over Ed being an asshole!”

“Oh, no,” Carol said quickly. “I’m not ready for that.”

“What if it was Daryl and his pretty blue eyes?” Tara asked mischievously. 

“Absolutely not,” Carol said. 

“How about Rick Grimes?” Maggie asked with a smirk, and she giggled when Michonne dropped her fork into her salad. 

“How about Glenn Rhee?” Michonne asked icily, glaring at her. Maggie giggled.

“Sorry, but he’s taken. Rick on the other hand is still single because someone doesn’t have the guts to ask him out on a date,” Maggie replied.

“I can’t do it!” Michonne said, dramatically covering her face with her hands. “Every time I try talking to him, my brain freezes up and I can’t even talk!”

Carol busied herself with her sandwich while the other girls gushed about Michonne’s crush on Rick. She didn’t delight in gossip the way she used to, and she didn’t squeal over cute boys anymore. Ed had been her first real relationship, and he’d completely destroyed all the ideas and fantasies she’d once entertained about finding true love. She’d dreamed of finding an amazing boyfriend, one who’d bring her flowers and make her feel like the most beautiful and important girl in the world, and when the time was right, he’d make love to her and it would be magical and beautiful like in the movies. But instead she’d gotten stuck with Ed who made her feel small and worthless, who took advantage of her and got what he wanted, leaving her broken and alone. The reality had ultimately worked out very differently than she’d hoped, and no matter how much she wanted to, she couldn’t quite get back into the hopeful mindset she’d once had. She was afraid that Ed had ruined her ideas of romance forever. She still wasn’t sure if she’d ever be able to trust anyone enough to let them get that close to her again, and it made her sad to think that, because of Ed, she might actually spend the rest of her life alone, never trusting anyone enough to let them get close out of fear that one day they might end up hurting and breaking her all over again. 

*****

Daryl spent lunch alone. He’d gone out into the courtyard by the cafeteria and climbed a large tree off to one side, hiding himself inside its leaves. Mrs. Grimes had packed him a large lunch, and he picked silently at the potato chips as he thought about the few classes he’d been to already. He hadn’t talked to anyone besides Carol, but he was perfectly okay with that. He preferred it when people didn’t talk to him, anyway. 

When lunch ended, Daryl grabbed his stuff and headed off to find his math class. He met the teacher with a small, forced smile, and he chose a seat towards the back of the classroom. He looked purposefully down at his desk when someone sat down beside him, desperately hoping they wouldn’t try to coax him into a conversation. 

“Hi there,” the girl said enthusiastically. “I’m Michonne. You must be the new kid, right?”

Daryl reluctantly glanced over at her. “Yeah. So?” 

“I’m just saying hello,” she said brightly. “My friend said she met you earlier. Her name’s Carol.”

Fuck. “Yeah, I met her.”

“She said you were really nice,” Michonne said with a smile. 

The fuck? “Ain’t ever been called nice before,” Daryl grumbled. 

“Well, Carol thinks you’re really nice,” Michonne said. 

“Uh, okay,” Daryl grumbled awkwardly, glancing away. Just the mention of her name brought him back to science class that morning, and it got him thinking about those mesmerizing blue eyes of hers. Shit, I gotta stop thinkin’ ‘bout her like this, he thought angrily. “Bet she says that ‘bout everyone,” he grumbled to Michonne.

“She does,” Michonne said with a heavy sigh. “Even when they don’t deserve it.” Daryl glanced over at her quizzically. “Oh, she’d kill me if she knew I was telling you this,” Michonne sighed dramatically. “Okay, her ex-boyfriend Ed totally dumped her, leaving her all broken and sad and she’d thought that he was the sweetest guy ever, but he turned out to be a complete asshole. And she hasn’t really been the same ever since.”  
Daryl let himself process her words for a few moments. “She’s sad ‘cause her boyfriend dumped her?” he asked incredulously. 

“Yeah,” Michonne said sadly. “It just sucks you know, because she’s the sweetest person ever and she really deserves to find someone who’ll make her happy.” She glanced expectantly over at Daryl, but he wasn’t paying attention to her anymore. His brain was reeling. There was no way that pain he’d seen was just because of a break up. No way. It had to be more than that. That kind of pain penetrated deep into her soul, it was constantly present behind her eyes, and if you looked closely enough you could tell just how deep the hurt ran. No fucking way was it just over some stupid boy dumping her. Daryl knew that kind of pain – he’d recognized it instantly. He felt the same thing every day. A simple break up wasn’t nearly enough to cause anyone to feel that way, no matter how much they cared about the person breaking up with them. No, this was something else. Something bigger. It had to be.

“How long you known her?” Daryl asked suddenly.

Michonne looked surprised. “Since third grade,” she replied. “She’s one of my best friends.”

“She ever been this sad before?” he asked.

Michonne looked confused. “No,” she said slowly. “What does that have to do with anything?”

“Nothin’,” Daryl mumbled quickly. Shit, he thought. This is why I don’ talk to people. I fuckin’ suck at it. “Just sucks that she’s so sad,” he said lamely. 

“Yeah,” Michonne said. “Yeah, it does. She could definitely use that kind of compassion right now.” Daryl glanced over at her, seeing her smile ever so sweetly at him. The fuck is this girl tryin’ to say? He turned his attention away from her, trying to process the conversation. Had it been obvious that he’d been thinking about Carol? That he was intrigued by her? Is that why Michonne had brought her up in the first place? The entire conversation just felt bizarre to him, and at the end of the class he left the room without a backward glance at that Michonne girl.

His final class of the day was English, and he walked into the room sullenly. He chose an empty seat, biting anxiously on his thumbnail as he waited for the class to just be over. 

And he definitely wanted it to be over when he saw Carol walk in the room. She smiled shyly at him as she slid into the seat next to him. 

“Hi again,” she said quietly.

“Hi,” he mumbled, desperately trying to look anywhere but into her eyes. 

“So, how’s your first day been?” Carol asked almost indifferently, pulling a book out of her bag. “Did you meet any more people?”

“Not really,” he mumbled. “Met your friend. The talkative one.”

“Michonne?” Carol asked. He nodded. “Yeah, she’s one of my best friends. We’ve known each other since we were eight.”

“She said ya were sad,” Daryl blurted out suddenly. FUCK. The hell made ya say that, Dixon?! Carol looked at him in surprise.

“She did?” she asked, her voice barely above a whisper. 

“Yeah,” Daryl said awkwardly. “Somethin’ ‘bout yer boyrfriend dumpin’ ya.”

“I can’t believe she told you that,” Carol whispered. “I can’t believe she told you that. Oh my God, I’m going to strangle her.”

“No, don’t do that,” Daryl said awkwardly. “Think she’s worried ‘bout ya.”

Carol glanced over at him but didn’t say anything.

This time Daryl thought about what he would say next. Should he ask the question? Should he not? Hell, she asked him a bunch of questions earlier – now it was his turn to ask the questions. “There’s somethin’ else though. Right?” Carol glanced at him warily. 

“What do you mean?” she whispered.

“I mean… it ain’t really my business. But, ya look sadder than someone who just got dumped. There’s somethin’ else that’s makin’ ya sad,” Daryl mumbled awkwardly, glancing down at his hands. Fuck, Dixon. Why ya always gotta make things awkward when ya talk to people?

Carol sighed quietly. “Yes. There is something else.” He watched as her eyes filled with tears for a moment, but she stubbornly bit them back. “I don’t really want to talk about that, though.”

“Okay,” Daryl mumbled, glancing over at her. “Sorry I asked.”

“No, it’s okay,” Carol said, rubbing her temple gently. “I just haven’t had to talk to anyone about it before. No one else has even noticed.” He didn’t know what to say to that, but the teacher mercifully began the class so he didn’t actually have to say anything. At the end of class, Daryl exited the classroom right after Carol. He was just about to head off on his own down the hallway when she turned back to face him.

“Can I ask you something?” she asked.

Daryl shifted uncomfortably. “Sure.”

“How did you know I wasn’t just sad because Ed broke up with me?”

Daryl shrugged. “Ya just looked too sad. Could see it in yer eyes. Ya went through somethin’ even worse if it made ya that sad.”

“And how did you know that?” Carol asked tearfully.

Daryl sighed inwardly. He’d never been this open with anyone before, but he figured this girl at least deserved the truth from him. “Only person I ever seen lookin’ that sad is the one starin’ back at me in the mirror,” he said, letting his eyes look directly into hers. Her breath caught in her throat, and he turned quickly and walked away from her. He still didn’t know what it was about her that had him so messed up, but he could already tell that this Carol girl was something different. Something special. He’d never paid attention to anyone like this before, and just thinking about it terrified him. He never let anyone get close enough to him, fearful that they would break him even worse than he already was. So what was it about this Carol girl that made him willing to let her in? As he exited the school he thought that maybe, just maybe, it was because she seemed pretty broken inside, too.


	4. Chapter 4

When Carol got home from school that day, she plopped herself down on her bed with a heavy sigh. How the hell had Daryl been able to read her so easily? When she’d been dating Ed she hadn’t had to worry about anyone noticing what she was going through because Ed made sure that she spent all her free time with him. He was supposed to be the only person who mattered in her life, so he made sure that she spent all her time with him rather than with any of her other friends. 

Once Ed had broken up with her, Carol had spent most of the summer at home. She’d avoided seeing her friends and opted to stay at home and read instead. She never worried about anyone noticing what she was going through because no one saw her when she was at her worst.

She thought she’d gotten good at hiding it. She thought her lies were believable, and she thought she was in the clear. She would never have to talk about what Ed had put her through because none of her friends had even noticed. Her parents spent much of their time traveling around the country on business, so she knew she didn’t have to worry about them noticing either, because she didn’t spend all that much time with them. She honestly thought she’d be able to get away without ever having to tell anyone about the details of her relationship with Ed. She thought she could just bottle it all up and tuck it away, eventually getting over him all on her own. 

But then this Daryl Dixon had showed up. 

She thought back to what he’d said: Only person I ever seen lookin’ that sad is the one starin’ back at me in the mirror. The more she thought about it, the sadder she became. She knew that Daryl was a foster kid, which probably meant that he’d been bounced around between numerous foster families. She figured not all of those experiences could have been good, and he must have hated every time he had to start over with a new family. She also thought about his biological family, wondering what had happened to them that would have put him into foster care in the first place. 

Carol sighed heavily again. All this thinking was making her head spin until she couldn’t figure out who she felt sorrier for: herself or Daryl. 

***** 

After school that day, Daryl walked home with Rick. 

“So, how was your first day?” Rick asked conversationally.

“Alright, I guess,” he mumbled.

“Did you meet any other people?” Rick asked. Always the same fuckin’ questions, Daryl thought to himself.

“A couple,” he mumbled. He glanced over at Rick and saw him staring expectantly at him. “Met this girl – Carol – seems real nice.”

“Oh, yeah, she’s cool. I’ve known her since we were like five or something crazy like that. Believe it or not, she was my first crush back in fourth grade,” Rick said with a small smile.

“Really?” Daryl asked, not sure why the thought of Rick feeling something stronger than just friendship for Carol was making his blood boil. 

“Yep,” Rick replied. “She was just so nice to everyone, and she has the prettiest blue eyes. I liked her for like two or three years.”

“But ya don’t anymore?” Daryl asked. Better fuckin’ not. 

“Nah,” Rick replied. “I mean, she’s cool and all, and she’s still really pretty, but I’ve got my sights set on someone else now.” Daryl glanced over at him and noticed the tips of his ears turning pink.

“Well?” Daryl prompted and Rick chuckled awkwardly. 

“I haven’t actually told anyone before,” he mumbled awkwardly. “But I guess my new foster brother’s a good place to start.” He offered Daryl a small smile before continuing. “She’s actually Carol’s best friend. Her name’s Michonne.”

“Shit,” Daryl mused. “Met her today, too.”

“You did?” Rick asked, eyes wide.

“Yep. Real talkative,” Daryl said, thinking back to their conversation in math class. “Seems nice enough, though. Why don’t ya ask her out or somethin’?” 

Rick sighed heavily. “I don’t know,” he said. “I’ve thought about it but every time I try to talk to her I get all clammy and awkward.” Daryl smirked at the mental image.

“So, did you sit with Carol and her friends during lunch?” Rick asked. “I didn’t see you there.”

“Nah, ate outside,” Daryl said.

“By yourself?”

Daryl glanced over at him. “Yeah.”

“Why would you do that? You should’ve come to sit at my table. Glenn can make friends with anyone. And it’d be nice to have someone else to talk to. Milton and Eugene sit together and just talk about science and shit. Glenn and I can’t follow a word they’re saying half the time.”

Daryl shrugged. “Didn’t really think ‘bout it,” he grumbled. “Ain’t never had friends t’ sit with before.”

Rick glanced sadly at him. “Well, you’ve got me,” he offered. “And Carol’s willing to be friends with anybody, so that makes two already.”

Daryl stared awkwardly at the ground as they approached the house. “Thanks.”

Once they were inside, Mrs. Grimes was ready and waiting for them with questions of her own. “How did it go? I hope you had fun. And I hope you met lots of new friends…”

“It was fine,” Daryl grumbled, looking down at the floor. “Met some people. Wasn’t bad, anyway.”

“Oh, good,” Mrs. Grimes said with a wide smile. “You boys come on into the kitchen. I baked some cookies earlier this afternoon for you.”

The mention of cookies got Daryl thinking back to Carol, recalling how she’d mentioned Mrs. Grimes’ delicious cookies during their conversation before. He thought about the look on her face when he’d asked her all those questions. He could tell that she’d never had to answer anything like that before – she was just as unprepared to talk about her feelings as he was. His whole life, Daryl had never had anyone to talk to. He’d never had anyone to confide in when it came to the pain he felt – not even when he was a kid, taking the regular beatings his father dealt him, or when his house had burned to the ground, the ashes of his mother somewhere underneath all the debris. Merle had been in and out of juvie, he skipped town all the time, and he was never exactly sympathetic towards his baby brother. Daryl had been all alone his entire life, left to stifle the sounds of his sobs into his pillow at night. He’d never talked about how he felt, not even when that bitch from child services had asked him all those damn questions. He’d kept it all to himself, refusing to let anyone in, refusing to let anyone get close to him. He didn’t need them – he’d always been just fine on his own. 

He could see that same reluctance to open up from Carol. She was just like him – silently suffering on the inside, but refusing to let anyone get close enough to help her. She kept it all at bay, hiding all her thoughts and feelings in those gorgeous blue eyes of hers where no one but Daryl had been able to see them. 

Hold on now, Dixon, he thought to himself, interrupting his own train of thought. Did ya just say her eyes are gorgeous? Where the fuck did that come from? With a shake of his head, Daryl bit into a cookie. She hadn’t been kidding – it was one of the best cookies Daryl had ever eaten. But why was he thinking about her in that way? Why was it that he cared so much about whether or not Rick still liked her? He couldn’t quite figure it out. This entire sensation of actually liking another person was totally foreign to him, and he was still desperately trying to work out why Carol was the one that had caught his attention, causing him thinking these strange new thoughts.

Alone in his bedroom later that afternoon, Daryl was still trying to sort out his thoughts. He knew he was completely and hopelessly mesmerized by this Carol. He’d never paid attention to anyone like this before, yet here he was, sprawled across his bed and unable to think about anyone or anything else. If he closed his eyes, all he could see was the beautiful blue pools of her eyes, pulling him in further and further until he couldn’t think straight. Dammit Dixon, he thought angrily to himself. The fuck is happenin’ to ya?


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks to everyone who's been reading along so far! I'm definitely more of a fluff person than an angst person, so this story has been a bit of a challenge for me to write. I hope it's alright though, and I hope you're all enjoying it. If you have any ideas on anything that could be improved, please let me know! I'm always open to suggestions! :)

The next day Daryl went through the motions, attending each of his classes with the same bored expression on his face. When he got to science class, he took his seat beside Carol intending to treat that class the same way. She’d told him the day before that she didn’t want to talk about whatever was bothering her. He understood completely why she didn’t want to talk about it, and he was going to honor her wishes. But, to his surprise, she did seem willing to talk to him about other things.

“Hi Daryl,” she said sweetly, flashing him a small smile. He glanced up at her in surprise.

“Hi,” he said.

“How’s your second day going?” she asked conversationally. Daryl shrugged. “You know, maybe one day you’ll actually be able to keep a conversation going,” Carol said with a small, teasing smile. Daryl was just about to reply when the door of the classroom banged open.

“Ed Peletier,” their science teacher greeted the newcomer warmly. “What can I do for you?”

“Couple of buddies and I were just wondering if we could borrow a couple of extra beakers,” the so-called Ed replied. He was a large guy, and Daryl noticed that he had an air of arrogance and pride that hung around him like a cloud when he walked in the room. This guy clearly thought he was important. “We have an experiment to do for our class.”

“Of course,” their teacher replied. “Let me run and grab you some.” As their teacher headed into the back of the classroom, Daryl glanced over at Carol. He was surprised to find that her knuckles were white as she clutched the sides of her desk, and she was breathing heavily. 

“Hey,” he said, nudging her arm gently. “Ya okay?”

Carol glanced over at him quickly, barely nodding her head. “I’m fine,” she whispered.

“Ya clearly ain’t fine,” Daryl scoffed. “What’s wrong?”

Carol merely shook her head, keeping her eyes glued to her own desk. 

Daryl glanced at her, then back at the newcomer, before flashing back to her. Then something clicked inside his head. 

“Ya said his name was Ed,” he mumbled quietly so only she could hear. She glanced over at him but said nothing. “That’s him?” Daryl asked gently. Carol nodded silently, desperately looking anywhere but at Ed. 

Daryl surveyed him hostilely, formulating an opinion of him. Aside from the air of arrogance that Daryl had first detected, he noticed how dark Ed’s eyes appeared. There was something there that Daryl didn’t like, and he felt goosebumps rise on his arms. 

“Seems like an asshole,” Daryl grumbled. Carol smiled at that.

“You have no idea,” she said. The morose look she fixed him with told him that she spoke the truth – he really didn’t have any idea of what an asshole this guy was.

“Here you are, Ed,” their teacher said, returning and handing the beakers over to him. “I trust you’ll take good care of them.”

“Of course,” he replied solemnly. “Thank you very much.” He turned to exit the classroom, waving to one of his football teammates sitting in the back, before his eyes came to rest on Carol. Daryl noticed her breath hitch in her throat, and he felt his heart begin to hammer against his ribcage as his fingers curled themselves into fists. Ya don’t get to look at her after bein’ an asshole to her, he thought angrily. He wanted to scream it across the classroom at him, but he held it back, waiting to see if he would just leave. He watched as a sinister grim flickered across Ed’s face, and he winked at Carol before leaving the room. Carol let out a heavy breath and buried her face in her hands. 

“Hey,” Daryl said quietly. When she didn’t acknowledge him, he reached out a hand tentatively to touch her arm. “Hey,” he repeated. She flinched, and Daryl quickly withdrew his hand. “It’s alright,” he whispered. “He’s gone now.”

Carol sighed and looked over at him sadly. “I’m sorry,” she whispered. “It’s just… you have no idea… no one does…” she wrung her hands together, sighing again.

“Hey, it’s okay,” Daryl said gently. He felt so awkward trying to comfort her – normally it was him that needed to be comforted. “We don’t gotta talk ‘bout it. Let’s just focus on science, huh?” Carol smiled weakly at him.

“Thanks, Daryl,” she whispered. He offered her one of his small smiles, before turning his attention back to classwork. He knew there was something about Carol’s relationship with Ed that was haunting her, but for the life of him he couldn’t figure out what it could possibly be. 

***** 

At lunchtime that day, Daryl walked into the cafeteria hesitantly. He’d never been one for sitting with his friends at lunch and telling stories or exchanging gossip and rumors. He’d never really been much of a people person, so what he was about to do was absolutely bat-shit crazy for him. He made his way shyly over to the table where Rick and a few other people were already seated, and sat down beside Rick cautiously. 

“Hey Daryl,” Rick said with a smile. “Guys, I’d like you all to meet Daryl. This is Glenn, that’s Eugene, and that’s Milton.” Eugene and Milton glanced up from the textbook they were pouring over to wave hello, and Glenn smiled broadly. 

“Good to meet you,” Glenn said. “Anyone who can handle sharing a house with Rick has got to be a seriously brave soul, and probably a bit of a badass, so major props to you, man. I’d definitely want you on my zombie apocalypse team.”

“Uh, thanks,” Daryl mumbled awkwardly. The scuffling of shoes made him look up.

“Hey Glenn,” a pretty brunette said, coming over to wrap her arms around his neck. 

“Hey,” he replied, kissing her gently. But Daryl wasn’t really paying attention to Glenn or his little girlfriend. He was more focused on the girl who had walked over with the brunette. 

“Hey Daryl,” Carol said with a smile.

“Hi,” he said sheepishly. She smiled at him as she pulled out the seat beside him.

“Hi Rick,” she said with a friendly smile in his direction. “Is it cool if we join you guys today?”

“Yeah, sure,” Rick said, running a hand through his short curly hair nervously. 

“Awesome,” Carol said. “Oh Daryl, that’s Maggie. She’s one of my best friends, and she’s also dating Glenn.”

“Hey Daryl,” Maggie said with a smile, seating herself next to Glenn. “I’ve heard lots of nice things about you already. All from Carol.” Maggie winked over at her friend, and Daryl could’ve sworn he saw Carol aim a kick at Maggie’s shins under the table. Maggie giggled into her hand before turning her attention back to Glenn. Carol began waving to someone, and Daryl saw Michonne and another girl approach the table.

“Daryl, that’s Tara, and you’ve already met Michonne,” she said. 

“Hey, hey,” Tara said, sliding into the seat beside Carol.

“Hi again Daryl,” Michonne said. “Hi Rick.” Daryl noticed Rick’s knee begin to shake nervously. 

“Hi Michonne,” he said hoarsely. Michonne seemed to hesitate for a moment before taking the empty seat beside Rick. Daryl noticed Maggie and Tara exchange knowing glances, and Daryl tried to flash Rick a reassuring glance. 

“So Daryl,” Michonne said a few minutes later. “Tell us more about yourself. Where do you come from, do you have a girlfriend? That sort of thing.” She flashed a wicked smile in Carol’s direction and Daryl noticed that her cheeks flushed a deep shade of pink.

“Uh… nah, don’t got a girlfriend,” Daryl mumbled awkwardly. 

“Really?” Michonne asked, leaning forward a bit. “My, my, that is interesting. Isn’t that interesting, Carol?” Carol jumped at the question, and stared down at her sandwich.

“Hey, I’ve got an idea!” Tara jumped in. “Why don’t we ask Rick about his love life? Do you have a girlfriend, Rick?” Daryl thought Michonne might kill Tara in that moment, and he thought Rick might die of embarrassment.

“Uh, no,” Rick mumbled, just as awkwardly as Daryl had. “No, I don’t.”

“Really? Well, do you have your sights set on someone?” Tara asked interestedly. Daryl almost laughed out loud as Rick’s face blushed an even deeper shade of crimson. 

“Uh, I don’t know…” Rick mumbled. Daryl heard Carol stifle a soft giggle and he glanced over at her. She leaned closer to him to whisper something in his ear.

“You know, Michonne has a huge crush on Rick,” she said with a smile. “That’s why Tara’s asking all these questions.”

“Really?” Daryl whispered back. “’Cause Rick’s got a crush on Michonne.”

“Really?” Carol asked in surprise. 

“Yep,” Daryl replied. “Told me yesterday.”

Carol shook her head sadly. “The two of them, I swear. They need to figure their shit out.”

Daryl smiled awkwardly at her but said nothing. It was nice just talking to her. He’d never had any real friends before, so he’d never had anyone to swap stories and gossip with. It was a bit of an odd feeling, but Daryl figured that he could definitely get used to it, especially if Carol was involved. 

Once lunch ended, Daryl grabbed his things and headed off to class, and he was surprised when Carol fell into step beside him. 

“What class do you have now?” she asked him.

“Math,” Daryl replied gruffly. “You?”

“History,” she answered. He was about to open his mouth to say something when someone stepped directly into his path.

“Hello Carol,” Ed Peletier snarled in Carol’s face. Daryl and Carol stopped dead in their tracks, and Daryl watched as Ed took a menacing step closer to Carol. “Got a new boyfriend already, huh?” he asked intimidatingly, grabbing her roughly by the arm and pushing her up against the lockers. Carol flinched as her back made contact with the hard metal, and Daryl took an angry step towards Ed.

“Hey, let her go!” he said heatedly.

“Ooh hoo, looky here!” Ed whooped gleefully. “He’s got spunk, sweetie, I’ll give him that. He’s a bit scrawny compared to me, though,” he added pompously, looking Daryl up and down. “Bet he could never make ya scream in bed the way I did, huh princess?” He growled the last bit into her ear before roughly releasing her, giving her yet another little shove. 

“See ya around, ugly,” Ed snarled at Daryl, heading off in the other direction. Daryl forced himself not to run after him and beat his ass, turning his attention to Carol instead. The sleeve of her sweater had been pushed crudely up her arm under Ed’s strong grip, and Daryl caught a glimpse of the skin she typically kept hidden. Standing out against her creamy flesh he noticed slowly fading, yellowing bruises and a long, fresh pink scar. He couldn’t see much else because Carol quickly yanked the sleeve back down her arm. 

“Ya okay?” Daryl asked, glancing quickly up to meet her steady blue gaze, not sure that he wanted her to know what he’d just seen. She nodded silently, rubbing her arm where Ed had gripped it.

“I’m sorry you had to see that,” she whispered, avoiding his gaze.

“Hey,” Daryl said. “Don’ apologize ‘cause yer ex is an asshole.” She offered him a small, watery smile which he returned warmly. 

“Thank you,” she said softly. “I’ll see you later, okay?” Without waiting for a reply she turned and headed off quickly down the hallway, leaving Daryl alone to stare after her. 

As he headed for his math class, he thought about what he’d seen: bruises and scars that she clearly tried very hard to keep hidden. He thought about the pain that he saw behind her eyes, and he thought about the way she tried to hide it from everyone. Could the two of them be connected? He thought back to the way that Ed had gripped her arm so tightly, throwing her brutally against the lockers while snarling disgusting, crude things in her face. A thought occurred to him, but he shook his head. No, that couldn’t be it. Could it? He seriously hoped he was wrong. As he headed into his class he wondered about Carol’s relationship with Ed. Had he hurt her? Was he the one responsible for those marks on her arm? After what he’d just witnessed, he knew that Ed could definitely be capable of such cruelty. He thought back to the days when his own daddy would beat him senseless. He’d had that look of pure malice in his eyes, the same one he’d noticed in Ed. The more he thought about it, the more convinced he became that he was right, and he felt a feeling of dread well up in his gut. Ed had definitely hurt Carol, not just physically but emotionally as well, and Daryl silently vowed to himself to do whatever he could to help her heal from it. He understood that kind of pain she was feeling – he’d felt it before himself – and he hoped to God that whatever comfort he could offer her would be enough.


	6. Chapter 6

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I really wasn't quite sure what the heck I wanted to write next, but once I sat down to actually write it I somehow ended up with this. Anyway, I hope y'all like it! :)

Carol locked herself in a bathroom stall, finally letting the tears spill freely. She hadn’t wanted to cry in front of Daryl, but she’d had to practically sprint through the hallway to make it to the bathroom before the tears came. Even when she thought she was free of Ed, she knew deep down that she would never really be free. Yes he’d dumped her, but the memories of what he’d put her through, the pain and sorrow that came from thinking about him would always remain. She’d had an entire summer to put it all behind her, and now she was back in school, trying to make new friends and move on with her life, and he couldn’t even let her have that. No, he had to keep popping back up, haunting her, never truly letting her be free from him. 

And when he’d grabbed her, throwing her up against those lockers and snarling those repulsive things in her ear… it just brought her back to the days when that was the norm, where bruises and vile sexual innuendos were the typical components of just another day with Ed Peletier. 

Carol wiped at her tears angrily with the sleeve of her sweater, fighting back to urge to scream or punch something. She hated Ed for putting her through this, she hated him for lingering in her subconscious and in her life, like a recurring nightmare she just couldn’t be rid of. She rubbed her arm gently where he’d grabbed it, remembering the way her sleeve had been forced up her arm in the process. She still wasn’t quite sure if Daryl had seen it. 

Daryl. 

God, just thinking about him made her want to burst into tears all over again. She hated that he’d had to see that, that he’d caught a glimpse of the monster that Ed could be. She knew he had more than enough troubles of his own to deal with – he didn’t need to bear witness to her problems as well. He already had enough on his plate. 

She remembered the look on his face when Ed had grabbed her, the way that he’d jumped up to her rescue. She was almost certain that he’d caught at least a glimpse of the remaining marks on her arm, and she knew that he’d put two and two together in no time at all. He was a smart guy, and he was very perceptive. He was, after all, the only one who had any idea that whatever she was feeling was because of more than a break-up. He was the only one who was able to read into her deepest and darkest emotions. Not even her friends who’d known her for years had been able to notice anything, and yet here was Daryl reading her like a page out of a book. 

It alarmed her how easily he could read her, but at the same time it caused something else inside her. A feeling she hadn’t felt in a long time. When she thought about Daryl’s silent understanding of her situation, she felt a spark of hope. She hadn’t had anyone that she could confide in before, and now here was this Daryl Dixon who, after only 48 hours, already knew more about her than even her family or her closest friends. When she thought about Daryl, she felt hopeful about this new relationship they’d begun to formulate. For a moment she allowed herself to dwell on that hope, letting it absorb her and carry her away from those memories of Ed. When she closed her eyes, rather than seeing those dark, terrifying eyes filled with cruelty and anger, she saw instead those bright, enchanting pools of blue filled with hope and friendship and compassion. 

*****

Later that day, Carol walked into English class to find Daryl already sitting anxiously in his seat, nervously chewing on his thumbnail.

“Hey,” she said with a smile as she took her seat beside him. 

“Hey,” he answered back. “Ya okay?”

Carol smiled at his concern. He didn’t even try to hide it from her, and she liked seeing that caring side from him. “Yeah, I’m fine,” she answered back. “Thanks. And thank you for jumping in there the way you did. No one’s ever stood up to Ed like that before.”

Daryl shrugged. “He don’t get to treat ya like that,” he said simply.

Carol couldn’t help the warm feeling that spread through her at his words. “Well, it was still nice to have someone else on my side for a change,” she said quietly. Daryl smiled at that. “Are you okay?” she asked, turning the concern back towards him. “I know Ed can be a little intimidating.”

“He don’t scare me,” Daryl snarled. “’Fact, if I ever see him lay a hand on ya again, I’ll rip him a new asshole.”

“Daryl,” she said gently, resting a hand on his arm. His blue eyes came up to meet hers.

“I’m serious,” he said earnestly, and she knew he meant it. 

“I know you are,” she sighed. “I just don’t want you getting in the middle of it, okay? He’s an asshole, but just let me deal with him. Ed isn’t your problem, he’s mine.”

“Ya don’t gotta deal with him all on yer own,” Daryl said quietly. Carol smiled at him. 

“You’re sweet, Daryl. You really are. And I appreciate that you want to help me, but I can handle this. Okay?” When Daryl didn’t reply, she pressed on. “Daryl, you’re the only person I know who understands what kind of person he is, what he’s capable of. Just having you for a friend and someone I can talk to is already going to be a huge help to me. Alright?” He met her gaze for a moment before nodding silently. 

“Alright,” he mumbled. “But I still might beat his ugly ass.”

Despite herself, Carol giggled softly. “You’re adorable.”

“Adorable ‘cause I wanna punch a guy?”

“Adorable because you would punch a guy for me,” she corrected him, placing the emphasis on the last two words. “Seriously though, thank you.”

“For what?” Daryl asked.

“Just for being the friend that I really needed,” she said with a smile. He smiled back at her, and Carol felt the beginning of something flutter somewhere deep inside her. It was something else, something warmer and more inviting than the hope she’d felt before. She couldn’t quite describe what it was, but in her heart she knew that this was only the beginning of a new, beautiful relationship.


	7. Chapter 7

As the weeks went by, Carol didn’t mention Ed again and Daryl followed her lead. He didn’t want to be the one to bring up such a sensitive subject, and he figured that if she did want to talk about it, then she would bring it up when she was ready. For the time being, Daryl was perfectly content to never mention that son of a bitch again.

Of course, he knew that Ed was still lurking in the shadows, resurfacing from time to time. Although he never showed up when Daryl was around, Daryl knew he was still bothering Carol every so often. One day she walked into English class on the verge of tears, her shoulders shaking as she fought desperately to hold them back.

“What’d he do?” Daryl had demanded. Carol merely shook her head, refusing to answer him, and refusing to meet his eyes. “Did he hurt ya again?”

Carol shook her head. “I don’t want to talk about it,” she’d whispered, crossing her arms protectively over her chest.

That was about as much time as they ever devoted to talking about Ed these days, focusing most of their attention instead on other things. Daryl had actually developed a few friendships since starting at this school, and he had a decent home with the Grimes family. He’d never even imagined that it could be possible, but somehow he was actually happy. 

However, he did still have a few things he needed to figure out.

Like Carol, for one thing. He found himself thinking about her at all hours of the day, and he had no idea what to make of his own thoughts. She was the most beautiful, captivating thing he had ever known, and the fact that such an amazing person actually wanted to talk to him was still an entirely new concept to him. 

For as much time as he spent thinking about her, however, he had no clue how to go about actually talking about her. Which was why he never mentioned any of his friends while he was at home. He didn’t even know what people were supposed to say when they made a new friend. Did they announce it to the world? Did they talk about that friend at all? Was that weird? Quite frankly, he really had no idea. 

Which was why he was so surprised when Mrs. Grimes approached him in the living room one day and asked him about his friends. 

"So Daryl, what are your friends like?" she asked. "I know you told me that you and Rick have a lot of friends in common, but is there anyone I haven't met before?"

Daryl thought wildly for a moment before responding cautiously. "Well, there's this girl Carol. Rick and her ain't really that close, but she's been real nice t' me," he mumbled, feeling his ears burn pink. 

"Carol? I feel like I remember hearing that name before," Mrs. Grimes mused. 

"Rick said he used t' like her a long time ago," Daryl mumbled. 

"Oh, that's right! The pretty girl with the really blue eyes," Mrs. Grimes exclaimed. "She was always the sweetest little thing. Why don't you invite her over for dinner one night? Glenn spends most nights here anyway, and you're always welcome to invite your own friends over." She smiled at Daryl, and he felt his stomach turn over. Dinner with Carol? Invite her over to his house? Was she serious?

"I dunno," he mumbled awkwardly. "She's real shy."

"Well, I just want you to know you can invite her over whenever you'd like," Mrs. Grimes said with a smile. "And that goes for any other friends of yours as well. Okay?" Daryl nodded silently, and she gave his shoulder a light squeeze as she moved to exit the room.

As she left, Daryl thought about what she'd said. Invite Carol over for dinner? That was a crazy idea, wasn't it? He'd never had friends to invite over before, and he wasn't even sure how to go about bringing up the subject to her. No, he decided. He wouldn't ask her. He couldn't. He'd just wind up embarrassing himself in front of his first real friend ever. And he definitely didn't want to do that in front of Carol. 

***** 

The following day, Daryl sat in awkward silence beside Carol during lunch. He picked silently at his sandwich, not really sure how to talk to her in light of Mrs. Grimes' suggestion the day before. 

"Are you alright?" she asked him suddenly, catching him off guard. He glanced over at her, realizing she must have noticed how awkward he was being today. Shit. It still surprised him how easily she could read him. If something was bothering him, she was always able to tell, which was really inconvenient for a person like Daryl who spent most of their days being upset about something.

"'M fine," he grumbled, keeping his eyes fixed on his sandwich, unable to meet her steady blue gaze. 

"Are you sure?" she asked. "You've been awfully quiet today. Well, more quiet than usual, anyway." She smiled at him, and he couldn't help but return it.

"Just been thinkin', that's all," he mumbled.

"Okay," Carol replied dubiously, turning back to her own sandwich. 

"Would ya wanna come over t' my house for dinner or somethin'?"

He hadn't intended to even bring it up, and the words shocked him when they came out of his mouth. They must have shocked her too, because she stared over at him in astonishment. 

"For dinner?" she asked in surprise. 

"Uh, yeah. If ya want to, I mean," he started babbling, trying desperately to make this a little less awkward. "Mrs. Grimes says I can have friends over 'n I was thinkin' maybe ya'd wanna..." He trailed off awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck as he ducked his head. Shit Dixon, this is why ya never had any friends before. Yer the most awkward sumbitch there is.

"I'd love to come over for dinner." 

What?

"Really?" Daryl asked, brightening instantly. Then he blushed, realizing how pathetic he must've looked. 

"Sure," she said with a smile. "I like hanging out with you, Daryl." He smiled at that. No one had ever enjoyed spending time with him before, and the fact that such a beautiful and amazing person like Carol actually wanted to give him the time of day caused a warm, happy feeling to spread through him. 

"Okay," he mumbled, trying to keep his cool. "Okay. Ya wanna come over tomorrow? It's Friday, so Mrs. Grimes is gonna order pizza." 

"Pizza sounds great," Carol replied sweetly. 

"Okay. Good," Daryl said, trying to wrap his mind around what was happening. He was having dinner. With Carol. At his house. Tomorrow. As the wheels in his brain kept turning, he started asking himself questions. What're we gonna talk 'bout? What're we gonna do? What'm I gonna wear? No, stop it Dixon. This ain't a date or nothin'. This is two friends hangin' out ‘n eatin' pizza. Nothin' more, nothin' less. 

Then why the hell did it feel like the start of something so much more?


	8. Chapter 8

The following day, Daryl was nervous all day. He’d gotten up extra early that morning to take a nice, long shower, towel drying his hair and forcing it to fall in exactly the way he wanted it to. He found a bottle of some fancy-looking cologne and figured a tiny little bit couldn’t hurt. He’d washed his clothes especially, pulling on the softest black t-shirt he owned, and a clean pair of jeans. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he thought he actually didn’t look half bad. Mrs. Grimes smiled at him as he came down the stairs that morning, saying, “My, my Daryl, don’t you look handsome.”

She’d been ecstatic the day before when he’d told her that Carol would be joining them for dinner. She’d gone and baked a double batch of homemade cookies for dessert, and she’d set about dusting and cleaning the entire house. Now, she looked at Daryl with a wide smile.

“Thought I’d try somethin’ different,” Daryl grumbled awkwardly.

“Well, it definitely suits you,” Mrs. Grimes replied. “I’m sure Carol is going to love it.” She smiled knowingly at him as his cheeks flushed red. He’d hoped no one would realize how desperately he wanted to impress Carol, but apparently Mrs. Grimes could see straight through him. 

“You know, I find it interesting,” she thought out loud. “Rick used to like Carol, and now you do, too. She must really be a wonderful girl.” Daryl ducked his head in embarrassment, purposefully avoiding her gaze. No way was he about to discuss his feelings and girls with Mrs. Grimes.

“Okay, you run along to school,” Mrs. Grimes said, placing a quick kiss on the top of his head. She’d started doing that recently, and Daryl still couldn’t help but blush every time she did. “I’ll see you later. Have a great day!”

Daryl purposely left the house before Rick did, wanting to walk to school on his own. He didn’t exactly want to talk to Rick about how he was feeling, and he definitely didn’t want to talk about Carol coming over for dinner that night. The entire walk to school he tried to convince himself that they were just friends, and she was simply coming over for dinner for that reason. She definitely didn’t feel anything more for him, and he told himself that he didn’t feel anything more for her, either. Which was completely true. Right?

Right. 

***** 

The school day passed by mercifully smoothly for Daryl, and thankfully nobody commented on his cleaner-than-usual clothes. After school he met Carol at her locker, and the two of them were set to walk home together. 

“Ya ready?” he asked, hoping he didn’t seem too nervous. 

“Ready,” she said with a smile, closing her locker and following him out of the school. “So, what are we going to do until dinnertime?” she asked.

“No idea,” Daryl admitted, causing Carol to giggle into her hand. He shrugged, trying to play off how awkward he was feeling. “Ain’t never really hung out with any friends before,” he admitted. 

“Really?” Carol asked. 

“Never really had any friends t’ hang out with,” he told her shyly.

“Well, I’m honored to be the first,” she said with a smile. They walked the rest of the way home in relative silence until they arrived at the Grimes’ house. 

Daryl led the way inside the house, setting his things down by the front door. Carol followed suit, toeing her shoes off delicately while he kicked his into the corner. 

"So uh, here we are," he mumbled awkwardly. 

"This place is really nice," Carol mused, looking around herself. 

"I hear voices!" Daryl saw Mrs. Grimes come into view, smiling her warmest smile. "Hello Daryl. And this lovely young lady must be Carol."

"Hi," Carol replied shyly. 

"It's lovely to see you, sweetheart. The last time I saw you I think you were in third grade or something crazy like that," Mrs. Grimes said. "I made some cookies if you both want some, they're on the table in the kitchen. There's milk in the fridge too, if you'd like. I'll be upstairs if you guys need me, and Rick and Glenn are already up in Rick's room."

"Thanks so much, Mrs. Grimes," Carol said sweetly. "And thank you for having me over today."

"Oh, it's our pleasure, sweetheart," Mrs. Grimes smiled. "Thank you for coming over today." She turned to head up the stairs, calling over her shoulder, "See you kids later!" As she disappeared from view, Daryl turned to Carol. 

"Want some 'a those cookies?" he asked. 

"You know I do," she smiled. He led her to the kitchen, grabbing two cups from the cabinet while Carol hesitantly took a seat at the table. He poured them each a glass of milk, desperately willing himself not to spill them and embarrass himself in front of Carol. He sat in the seat beside her, placing a glass of milk in front of each of them.

"Thanks," she said with a smile, taking a cookie from the plate. She took a small bite, and Daryl watched as she smiled. "Just as good as I remember," she told him. 

"Yeah," he agreed awkwardly, taking a cookie for himself. 

"So, I've been thinking," Carol said slowly. "You probably know more about me than I do about you." Daryl felt himself stiffen, listening to her words warily. "Why don't you tell me a little bit about you?" 

"Ain't much t' tell," he grumbled. 

"Well, what do you like to do for fun?" Carol asked. "Do you have any hobbies?"

Daryl thought for a moment before replying. "I like t' hunt.”

"You hunt? That's pretty cool," Carol said appreciatively. Daryl could feel his cheeks warm slightly as he blushed. 

"Yeah. Got a crossbow up in my room." 

"That's awesome," Carol said. 

"What 'bout you?" He asked awkwardly. He wasn't used to these kinds of conversations. 

"I really like reading," Carol replied. 

"Oh," Daryl said. "That's... uh... interestin'."

Carol giggled. "You don't like reading?" she asked. 

"Nah," Daryl said. 

"That's okay," Carol told him. "I probably read more than enough books for the both of us." He smiled at that. They sat in silence for a few moments before Carol spoke again.

"Can I ask you something else? You don't have to answer if you don't want to." 

"Alright," Daryl replied hesitantly, scared to hear what she would ask him. 

"It's about something you said, and I can't stop thinking about it," she said slowly. "When we first met, you told me that the only person you'd ever seen looking as sad as I do was the one you see in the mirror." 

Daryl nodded silently, remembering the conversation. 

"Well, you know why I'm sad," she said. "Can I ask why you're so sad?" 

He looked up at her, feeling even smaller than usual. She looked back at him, not expectantly, but in genuine curiosity. He knew she wasn't asking to be intrusive or anything, and he felt as if that warranted an honest answer. 

"Ya know my life," he mumbled. "I been with six other foster families 'fore this one, 'n none of 'em were any good." Carol was silent, staring at him intently as he spoke. He'd never had such a captive audience before, and he shifted slightly in his chair as he continued. 

"My mom died in a fire when I was a kid," he told her. She gasped softly, her hand coming up to cover her mouth. He pressed on, knowing that if he stopped now, he'd never start talking about this again. "My dad just up 'n left us. Ran off, no clue where the drunk asshole went. 'N my big brother Merle, he went 'n got his dumbass arrested. It was just me for a while, 'till child fuckin' services came lookin' for me. Been in foster care ever since." 

He stared down at his hands, noticing how white his knuckles were from clenching his fists so tightly. He jumped when Carol reached over, gently placing her hand on top of his. 

"I'm sorry Daryl," she whispered. He looked up at her, noticing the way her blue eyes were filled with tears. 

"Hey," he said gently, his thumb coming up to gently rub her hand as it laid on top of his. "Ya ain't s'posed t' be cryin'." 

"I know," she mumbled, swiping the tears away before they could fall. "I'm sorry."

"Don't apologize," he said, completely bemused. Maybe this was why he never talked to people about his past, he thought. They responded in such bizarre ways. 

"So," Carol said shakily. "Are things at least better for you now? Living with the Grimes family, I mean?" 

"Yeah," he said, shifting slightly. Her hand was still resting on top of his and it was making it difficult to think straight. "Yeah, they're good people. Real nice 't me. 'N it's nice havin' friends now." He smiled nervously over at her, and to his relief she returned it instantly. "How 'bout you?" he asked, turning the conversation back to her. "Peletier still botherin' ya?" Carol shrugged silently.

"It's not so bad anymore," she replied, finally moving her hand away from his just to wring her own hands together. "It's only once in a while now, and..." She hesitated for a moment. "And most of my bruises have faded now." 

"That's good," he said with a smile. "Y'know if he bothers ya again, I'll knock his teeth in." 

"No, just let him be," Carol said softly. "He might deserve it, but you could get into trouble for that, and I wouldn't want that for you." 

"I'd do anythin' if it meant ya'd be happy," Daryl said, feeling a deep blush creep up his face and neck at his own words. Carol smiled at him. 

"You're the sweetest," she told him. "Really. I'm glad to have you as my friend." He smiled at that. Going from having no friends at all to having Carol in his life had been a drastic change for him, but Daryl couldn't possibly be happier about it. 

"Who wants what on their pizza?" Mrs. Grimes called from the other room, jerking Carol and Daryl's attention away from each other. 

"I'm good with whatever," Carol told Daryl. "Cheese, pepperoni, whatever you want." Daryl thought about it. No one had ever let him make decisions before, not even when it came to pizza toppings. One of his former foster families had actually ordered peppers on their pizza all the time specifically because Daryl had mentioned his dislike for peppers. 

"Ya like pepperoni?" he asked hesitantly. 

"Yeah, pepperoni's good," Carol replied. 

"Okay," he said. "Can we have pepperoni?" he called a little louder so Mrs. Grimes could hear. 

"You sure can!" Mrs. Grimes yelled back. Daryl smiled, turning back to Carol. He'd never imagined what it could be like to have a friend like her. Usually girls who were kind and pretty didn't pay any attention to him, and now here was Carol, a girl who was not only nice to him and the most beautiful girl he'd ever seen, but she was also someone who he could understand, and who understood him. They could relate to each other, and Daryl couldn't even begin to understand how he'd gotten so damned lucky to find a friend like her. 

When the pizza arrived, everyone gathered around the table to eat together. Like a proper family. Glenn and Rick whispered to each other, giggling softly at whatever jokes they'd exchanged. Meanwhile, Carol and Daryl sat beside each other in relative silence, eating their pepperoni pizza and glancing over at each other from time to time. Somehow it wasn't awkward, but the silence felt comfortable to them both. After dinner, Mrs. Grimes brought over some more cookies and milk. 

"Carol, sweetheart, it was wonderful having you join us tonight," she said with a smile. "I really hope you had a good time."

"I did, Mrs. Grimes. Thank you so much for having me over," Carol replied sweetly. 

"I had a good time too," Glenn mumbled around a cookie. "Thanks for asking."

"Oh Glenn, you're always here so I'm not worried about you having a good time," Mrs. Grimes said in a teasing tone. "I know you'll always come back for more of my cookies." Glenn couldn't even argue with that, shrugging slightly as he reached for another cookie. 

After dessert, Carol glanced idly at the clock. "It's getting late," she said quietly. "I should probably get going." 

Daryl tried not to pout. He liked spending time with Carol, and he didn't want it to be over so soon. "I'll walk ya home," he offered. 

"No, I'll be okay," she replied. 

"I'm serious," he told her. "Let me walk ya home." She looked over at him, smiling softly. 

"Okay," she said. "It's not a very long walk." 

"Let me go tell Mrs. Grimes, 'n then we can go," he told her. He left the room quickly, going to find Mrs. Grimes sitting in the other room with a book in her hands. 

"Carol's gonna go, 'n I'm gonna walk her home," he said quietly. 

"Oh, good," Mrs. Grimes said. "You're being such a gentleman, Daryl, I'd be amazed if she isn't falling for you already." 

"Stop," he mumbled, blushing furiously as he looked down at the floor. 

"Well, it's obvious to me how much you like her," Mrs. Grimes said with a smile. "And I can't say I blame you, she's a lovely girl. Go on and walk her home, and I'll see you when you get back." 

"Alright," he mumbled, turning and heading back to find Carol waiting for him. 

"Everything okay?" she asked him. "Your face is bright red." 

"Fine," he grumbled, slipping his shoes on. "Let's get goin'." She followed him from the house, and the two of them set off down the street walking beside each other. 

"You know, this was really fun, Daryl," Carol said, smiling over at him. He returned the smile, wondering idly if his face was still red. 

"Yeah, it was," he agreed. 

"Maybe next time you can come over to my house," she suggested. 

Next time? "That'd be real fun," he said. 

"Well, this one is my house," Carol said eventually, coming to a stop in front of a large white house. 

"Oh," Daryl said, stopping beside her. "Okay." 

"I really did have a good time tonight," she said with a smile. "I'll talk to you soon, okay?" He nodded silently. "Well, goodnight Daryl," she said, stuffing her hands awkwardly into her pockets.

"'Night, Carol," he replied quietly. She smiled up at him, and he couldn't help the warm feeling that spread through him as he smiled back at her. She leaned forward then, pressing a soft kiss to his cheek. He knew he must be blushing again, and he hoped it wasn't too obvious to her as she pulled back. 

"Bye," she said quietly, turning and heading into her house. She turned back to wave from inside the doorway, and then she was gone. Daryl stood there for a few moments, smiling like an idiot to himself. Tonight had easily been the best night of his entire life, and as he turned to head home, all he could think about was the sparkle he'd noticed in Carol's beautiful blue eyes tonight, and the way it had felt to have her lips pressed against his cheek in the first kiss he'd ever received.


	9. Chapter 9

Carol leaned up against the front door as it closed, sinking down to sit on the floor with a sigh. She leaned her head back against the door, closing her eyes. She couldn't believe how amazing tonight had been. Just spending time with Daryl, talking to him... she hadn't enjoyed spending time with someone else in so long she'd almost forgotten what it felt like. 

He was definitely the sweetest person she'd ever met. His willingness to jump up in her defense warmed her heart - she wasn't used to people actually caring about her or protecting her. It was different, but it was certainly a welcome change. 

She thought back to the way his blue eyes had glistened in concern when he'd asked her about Ed. She'd been completely mesmerized by those eyes of his, so full of concern and friendship for her, she didn't even know how to respond half the time. Of course, she knew how she'd like to respond, she just couldn't bring herself to actually do it. 

Her pesky little crush on Daryl had started out as just that - a crush. But now she found she couldn't stop thinking about him. His eyes had her completely captivated, and she'd even caught herself staring at his lips a few times. 

It wasn't Daryl that terrified her. She knew he would never do anything to hurt her. It was the memories of Ed that haunted her every time she thought about Daryl in that way. When she tried to picture that unexpected softness behind Daryl's eyes, they inevitably always turned into Ed's cold, hard gaze in her mind's eye. Whenever she thought about kissing Daryl, it always took her back to the way Ed would grab her arm roughly, shoving his tongue down her throat as his hands groped her. She shuddered at the memories, wishing to God that she could just move on with her life. That she could just forget. 

Talking to Daryl definitely helped. She felt surprisingly at ease whenever she was around him, and she was amazed at how easy it was to talk to him. Even talking about Ed was getting easier with him now, and apparently it was becoming even easier for him to talk to her about himself now, too. She thought back to the way he'd opened up to her about his childhood, telling her about his mother's death, his drunken father abandoning him, and his older brother getting arrested. Talking about all of that couldn't have been easy for him, and she doubted that he'd confided in many other people before, if anyone at all. She couldn't imagine him talking about it to anyone else, and it warmed her heart to know that he trusted her enough to talk to her about it. 

She thought back to the way that he'd insisted on walking her home, to the way his cheeks flushed red the entire time. He really was adorable, and she loved how awkward and self-conscious he sometimes got whenever he was around her. It was definitely endearing, and she loved seeing that side of him. 

By thinking about the walk home, she of course thought back to what had happened once they'd reached her house. She'd mentally argued with herself all night about what she should do, debating on whether she should hug him, or if she should simply stick to a smile. The thought of kissing him had crossed her mind, but she quickly dispelled it. No way was she going to make things awkward. Things were always awkward enough when it came to Daryl, and she didn't want to do anything too drastic to make matters worse. She'd still been arguing with herself as they stood outside her house, but she knew she couldn't simply stick to smiling and saying a simple goodnight. No, that just wouldn't be enough for a night as wonderful as this one had been. So in the end she'd settled on kissing his cheek, something that didn't involve quite as much physical contact as a hug, and something that could also be played off as an act of friendship if it had to. 

Of course, it meant so much more than friendship to her. From the moment her lips made contact with his skin, all she could think about was what it would be like to kiss him for real. It had been so long since she'd kissed someone without feeling any simultaneous physical pain that she was absolutely terrified by her own thoughts. But at the same time, she felt completely exhilarated. All she could think about now was kissing Daryl, about crossing over that friendship line and entering an entirely different territory. She was both petrified and amazed by how desperately she wanted to kiss him, to be held tenderly by him, to gently run her fingers through his shaggy hair, moving it off his forehead and out of his beautiful blue eyes. As she sat there imagining such a scenario, she couldn't help but wonder if Daryl was thinking about her, too. 

*****

Daryl stood outside Carol's house for a few moments, gazing longingly after her. His cheek seemed to burn on the spot where she'd kissed it, and he felt a yearning for more. He'd never been kissed by a girl before, not on his cheek or anywhere else, and as he turned to walk home he couldn't help but dwell on the way it made him feel. 

He'd never thought about himself as someone worthy of anyone else's affections. He'd always been that stupid kid, unwanted by his father, and unwanted by six foster families after him. His entire life he'd gotten used to rejection and loneliness. He'd never let anyone ever get close enough for anything else, and up until now, no one had ever really wanted to. 

He thought about the way that Carol looked at him, the way her beautiful blue eyes seemed to sparkle a little brighter whenever they settled on him. No one had ever looked at him in that way before, and it caused an odd fluttering somewhere inside of him that he had never felt before. 

As he approached the Grimes' house, he couldn't help but dwell on the sensation of Carol's lips pressed softly against his cheek. He wondered why she'd done it, wondered what the kiss meant to her. He knew what it had meant to him, and deep down he found himself hoping that it meant the same thing for her, too. He knew these feelings he had for her were something much stronger than friendship, and he couldn't help but hope that she felt it, too. 

As he walked inside the house, he found Mrs. Grimes sitting and waiting, almost expectantly. 

"So? How did it go?" she asked with a smile. "Did you get a kiss goodnight?" When Daryl blushed deeply, avoiding her gaze, her hand flew to her mouth. "Oh my goodness, you did, didn't you? Oh my goodness, Daryl!" She stood up, wrapping him in a tight hug, and Daryl wasn't sure what to do. He'd seen other people give and receive hugs before, so he did what figured would be a reasonable thing to do, and he wrapped his arms loosely and tentatively around her, gently hugging her back. 

"Did she really kiss you?" she asked excitedly, pulling back enough to look at him. 

"Was only on the cheek," he mumbled, looking down at his feet. 

"Aww, Daryl," she said, smiling as she brushed his hair back off his face. "Look at you. I'm so happy for you, dear."

"Uh, thanks," Daryl grumbled awkwardly. 

She planted a kiss on the top of his head as she said goodnight and he turned away, heading silently up the stairs to his room. He was still dwelling on that little kiss, still unsure of what it meant to Carol, but he sure hoped that it meant the same thing for her as it did for him.


	10. Chapter 10

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I know I said I'd be alternating between this story and At the Edge of Forever, but I've been having a bit of fun with this one. But I promise, I'll be updating my other story soon, too! :)

Monday at school wasn't as awkward as Carol or Daryl had anticipated it would be. Carol had decided to not even mention the kiss, figuring that if Daryl wanted to talk about it, then he would be the one to bring it up. Instead she simply smiled when she saw him in science class, saying hello in her typical fashion. He seemed to be acting fairly normal as well, much to Carol’s relief. 

The rest of the day went just as smoothly for Carol, something which greatly surprised her. She never seemed to have a day of peace anymore, which made today feel particularly odd. Just as she was heading into the cafeteria for lunch however, she felt something forcefully wrap around her arm, slamming her up against the wall. 

"Hi there, Carol," Ed spat in her face. "You're looking pretty happy today. What's the reason for that smile, huh?" His fingernails were digging roughly into her arm, and his breath felt uncomfortably warm as he snarled in her face. 

"Go away, Ed," she said, trying to tug her arm from his grasp. He held on a little tighter. 

"See, I noticed you lookin' real happy, and I figured you really shouldn't be that happy without me in your life. So I thought I'd come over here and see if I could brighten your day a little bit more." He smirked menacingly at her, and it was everything Carol could do not to turn around and run. 

"I asked you to leave me alone," she told him firmly. 

"Maybe I don't want to. Hell, maybe I even miss you, Carol. Maybe I’m gonna take you back. Whatcha gonna do about it?" Carol felt fear well up inside her chest as he snarled at her, and she tried once again to wrench her arm free. 

"Ed, let me go!" she exclaimed. 

"Hey, asswipe! Leave her the fuck alone." 

Carol turned quickly to see Daryl standing nearby, his hands coiled tightly into fists, and his face flushed a deep shade of red. 

"Hey, ugly! Long time, no see! You come along to defend your little girlfriend?" Ed spat the words at Daryl, his hold never softening on Carol's arm. "Well, I've got news for you, asshole. She's mine. I've claimed her. And there ain't nothin' you can do about it." His gruff hand came up to grab Carol's face, pulling her to him and placing a rough kiss on her mouth. She squealed, pulling away from him. 

"Get your fuckin' hands off her!" Daryl yelled, jumping forward. Ed finally released his hold on Carol, turning instead to face Daryl head-on. He aimed a heavy punch at Daryl's head, but Daryl was too quick for him. He dodged the blow easily, landing a quick but solid punch instead to Ed's face. Blood spurted from Ed's nose, and his grubby hands flew up to cover his face. 

"My fucking face!" he howled, and Carol noticed tears springing from his eyes. Ed turned and fled down the hallway, running for the bathroom. 

"Yeah, go run and cry you big fuckin' baby!" Daryl hollered after him. Then his attention was entirely focused on Carol, and his hands were on her shoulders in an instant, running up and down her arms soothingly. 

"Ya alright?" He asked. She nodded, despite the fact that she was shaking. "Did he hurt ya again?"

"No worse than you hurt him," she said with a small smile. He remained serious for a moment, but when he saw her watery smile he couldn't help but return it. Then he did something Carol never expected - he pulled her into his arms and held her tightly against his chest. Her arms came around him in response, hugging him in return. They remained that way for what felt like eons, paying no mind to the students bustling around them. All that mattered was the two of them, right here, right now, wrapped up in each other's arms. 

All too soon it was over, and Daryl was pulling back just enough to look at her. "Should probably go get some lunch," he mumbled. Carol couldn't help but notice how his cheeks flushed pink, and she couldn't help but smile at the observation. Even though he'd been the one to initiate the hug, he was still going to be awkward and embarrassed about it. Typical Daryl. 

"Yeah, we should go," Carol said, reaching out a hand to curl her fingers around his. "Thank you," she whispered, giving his hand a soft squeeze. 

"Told ya I'd knock his teeth in for ya," Daryl said quietly. 

"Pretty sure it was his nose," Carol replied with a soft, teasing grin. 

"Hmm, guess I'll just have to aim for the teeth next time," Daryl replied gruffly. 

"No, no you won't," Carol told him sternly, her expression sobering in an instant. "I'm serious Daryl, you're lucky none of the teachers saw you hit him. You could have gotten in serious trouble for that." 

"Would've been worth it," Daryl said with a shrug. "Told ya I'd do anythin' just to make ya happy." Carol couldn't help the smile that spread across her face at that, or the warm feeling that spread through her body. She didn't doubt his words for a second. She trusted him completely, and she knew that he actually would do anything she asked him to, just to make her happy. 

She didn't know how to respond at first, so she did the only thing she could think of. She snaked her arms back around his neck, hugging him tight again. He hugged her back instantly, his hand coming up to run idly through her curly hair. 

"Just please don't do anything that'll get you into trouble," she whispered into his shoulder. "I couldn't stand to watch that, knowing that it was all because of me..." She trailed off and he pulled back, just enough to cup her face in his hand. 

"Hey," he said softly. "It's okay. Hopefully he won't bother ya again, 'n I won't have to do anythin' else. Alright? Everythin's gonna be okay." He hesitated for just a moment, before leaning in to press a soft kiss to her forehead. She closed her eyes, enjoying the feel of his surprisingly soft lips pressed against her skin. God, how I want to kiss those lips. 

The thought crossed her mind without her even realizing it, and she hoped to God that she wasn't blushing. 

"C’mon," Daryl said, taking her hand back inside of his and interlocking their fingers. She smiled silently at him as he turned and led her into the cafeteria. This is exactly where my hand belongs, she thought to herself, glancing down at their intertwined fingers. She caught his gaze and held it for a moment, smiling up at him. He flashed her one of his reassuring half smiles in return, and for the first time in a long time, Carol couldn't help but feel somewhat hopeful for the future.


	11. Chapter 11

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much to everyone who's been reading and reviewing this story! It's turned out way fluffier than I'd initially intended, but I think I like fluff better anyway :)

Ed didn’t bother Carol again for the rest of the week. It was definitely a welcome change for her to not live her life in fear of the next time he would bother her. She’d see him in the hallway once in a while, but he always pointedly avoided her gaze now, presumably out of fear that Daryl would come out of nowhere and punch him again. 

Miraculously, Daryl hadn’t gotten into any trouble for hitting Ed. If any teachers had witnessed or heard about the encounter, then they certainly hadn’t told Principal Horvath about it. Carol couldn’t even begin to explain her relief that Daryl wouldn’t be getting into any trouble because of her. 

Things had been going surprisingly well between the two of them this week, and Carol was amazed at how forward Daryl was being. On Friday morning he’d actually hugged her when he saw her, and as he walked her to class after lunch he tentatively reached for her hand. Carol wasn’t sure what had gotten into him that was making him so forward and so open to physical contact, but she silently hoped that whatever it was would never stop. 

After school that day, Daryl met up with Carol near the main entrance of the school. 

"Ready to go?" she asked with a smile. 

"Ready," he replied with a smile of his own. This time she was the one to reach over, taking his hand in hers and intertwining their fingers together. They fell into step together, walking side by side in the direction of Carol's house. Her parents would be away on business again for the weekend, so she told Daryl he could stay as late as Mrs. Grimes would let him. 

"Peletier ain't bothered ya at all?" Daryl asked as they walked. 

"Not since you hit him," Carol replied with just a hint of satisfaction. "You know you actually broke his nose?"

"Just wanted him t' leave ya alone," Daryl mumbled. "Didn't actually wanna hurt him that bad." 

"Is it bad if I'm glad you did?" Carol asked quietly. She felt like a horrible person saying the words out loud, but thinking back to all the pain he'd caused her actually made her happy to think about Ed in excruciating pain. Vengeance, she thought to herself. 

"Nah, it ain't bad," Daryl said. "He hurt ya all the time. Prick's lucky all he got was a broken nose." Carol couldn't help but smile at that. 

"Have you seen him?" she asked. "He's all bruised where you hit him." 

"Good," Daryl grumbled. "Serves his ass right." 

They arrived at Carol's house then and Carol unlocked the door, standing aside to let Daryl come inside. They kicked their shoes off at the door, and Carol led the way into the living room. 

"Alright," she said, sitting down on the couch beside him. "So what do we want to do now?" 

"Dunno," Daryl replied. "Last week we just talked." 

"We can just talk again," Carol said. "Or we can always watch a movie." 

"Let's just talk," Daryl said quietly. "Never met no one else I actually like talkin' to." Carol felt her cheeks flush slightly at that statement. 

"Okay," she said. 

"Okay," he echoed her. They sat in silence for a few moments before Carol burst into a fit of giggles. 

"What?" Daryl asked sheepishly. 

"You know, when you say you're going to talk to someone, I'm pretty sure you actually have to, you know, talk." 

Daryl rolled his eyes at her, nudging her shoulder gently. "Shut up." Carol giggled again. She noticed that he was blushing though, and she couldn't help but think how damned adorable he was. He was so awkward and quick to get embarrassed, she had no idea how to be around him without doing or saying something to make him blush. It was just one of the little things she'd come to love about him. 

"So, are ya okay now?" Daryl asked quietly. "Now that he's leavin' ya alone, I mean." 

"Yeah," Carol said, shifting awkwardly on the couch. She felt her knee make contact with his leg as she crossed her legs on the couch, but she didn't bother to move away. The contact felt comforting to her, and she enjoyed feeling the warmth radiating off of him. To her immense relief, he flinched only slightly, but he didn't move away. "I guess I just feel better now knowing that I've got someone to look out for me." She smiled at him, and she felt her heart flutter inside her chest when he smiled back at her. 

"You know, you should smile like that more often," she said thoughtfully. 

"I should?" Daryl asked, glancing down at his hands in embarrassment. 

"Yeah," she said. "You have a nice smile." She could feel her cheeks burning under his gaze. Dammit Carol, she cursed herself. Don't let Daryl's awkwardness rub off on you! 

"Thanks," he mumbled. "You do, too." 

That caught her attention. "I do?" she asked. 

"Yeah, when ya really smile 'n your eyes sparkle like they do," Daryl said. His cheeks were redder than Carol had ever seen them, and he kept his gaze fixed on his hands. "It was the first thing I noticed 'bout ya." 

Carol wasn’t even sure how to respond to that. “Wow. Thanks, Daryl,” she said. He smiled sheepishly at her again, and then they sat in silence for a few moments until Daryl finally spoke.

“Did ya hear Michonne finally asked Rick out?” he asked.

“She did?” Carol exclaimed excitedly. “Nobody told me anything! How do you find this stuff out before me?”

“Rick practically skipped into my room last night t’ tell me,” Daryl grumbled. “Think they’re goin’ out tonight for pizza ‘n ice cream.”

“Oh my goodness, that is so precious,” Carol gushed. “I knew those two would finally figure it out. They were absolutely crazy about each other.”

“Yeah,” Daryl agreed. “Honestly, I was kinda gettin’ tired of watchin’ the two of ‘em pine away after each other without one of ‘em just makin’ a damn move.”

“Yeah, that got real old, real fast,” Carol agreed. “It was kind of sad to watch, actually. Two people who are both completely smitten with each other, and yet completely oblivious to the point that they’re tragically stuck in the friend zone until one of them opens their damn eyes to see what’s right in front of them.”

“Pfft, sounds like a damn romance novel,” Daryl snorted. Carol giggled too, and the two of them sat there giggling together for a few moments. 

“Seriously though, it’s about time,” Carol said finally. 

“Yeah,” Daryl agreed. “Seriously.” They sat in a semi-awkward silence after that, and Carol felt her mind begin to wander a bit. Two friends, hopelessly pining away after each other and neither one of them seems to notice what’s right in front of them… No, stop that, Carol, she inwardly chastised herself. Don’t even go there. 

A couple of hours later they were idly relaxing and laughing on the couch when Carol felt her stomach begin to rumble. “Are you hungry yet? I can order us a pizza.”

“Pizza sounds good,” Daryl agreed.

“Do you want pepperoni again?” she asked. “Or I can get us something else.”

“Let’s just stick to pepperoni,” Daryl said.

“Is this going to be our thing now? Pepperoni pizza on Fridays?” Carol teased, and she noticed the tip of Daryl’s ears turning pink.

“If ya want it to be, I guess,” he mumbled shyly. Carol smiled at the idea.

“I like it,” she declared. “Pepperoni pizza Fridays with Daryl and Carol.” He smiled too, and Carol placed the order for the pizza to be delivered. It arrived about twenty minutes later, and Daryl sat beside Carol at the table in the kitchen to eat. 

“So, how late do you think you’re going to stay?” Carol asked between bites.

“What, ya wanna get rid ‘a me that quick?” he asked jokingly.

“No,” Carol replied. “You know that isn’t it. I just want to figure out how many romantic movies I can force you to watch tonight.” Daryl rolled his eyes.

“I ain’t watchin’ no damn chick flicks,” he grumbled, picking a piece of pepperoni off his pizza and popping it into his mouth. 

“But Daryl—“

“Nope.”

“Daryl—“

“No.”

“Daryl.”

“Ain’t happenin’.” He glanced over at her stubbornly, and she forced herself to pout a little bit.

“Please, Daryl?” she asked sweetly. “We can make popcorn.”

Daryl sighed heavily. “Alright, fine,” he grumbled reluctantly. 

“Yes!” Carol said excitedly.

“Just one movie,” he said sternly.

“Okay, okay. Just one for tonight,” she said with a smile and Daryl sighed. 

“Can’t believe I just agreed to this shit.”

Daryl sat down to watch the movie with her with a huff of annoyance. She sat down beside him, passing him the large bowl of popcorn and pressing play on the remote. 

“Thank you for watching this with me,” she said quietly, smiling softly over at him. He looked over at her then and, seeing her smile, offered her a lopsided smile of his own.

“Told ya, I’ll do whatever makes ya happy,” he said quietly. Carol hummed quietly to herself, leaning against his arm as she relaxed to watch the movie. She was surprised when that arm started to move however, and she felt her breath catch in her throat as it came to wrap around her shoulders, pulling her closer to him. As she settled against his chest to watch the movie, she couldn’t help noticing how relaxed she felt. After Ed had broken up with her, she’d jumped at the slightest physical contact from anyone. But now that several months had passed, and now that she’d taken the time she’d needed to get comfortable around Daryl, his touch was surprisingly comforting to her. 

Carol enjoyed the movie, but she noticed Daryl huffing in annoyance a few times. As the end credits rolled, she smiled up at him.

“You know you’re the best, right?” she asked.

“Damn right I am,” he told her. 

“Can you stay a little longer?” she asked softly. “Or do you have to get home?”

“Nah, I gotta get goin’,” Daryl said wistfully. “Mrs. Grimes wants me home early ‘cause I gotta be up early tomorrow mornin’.”

“Doing anything fun?” Carol asked.

“Yeah, I’m pickin’ up my new ride,” he said with a proud smile.

“You’re getting a car?!” Carol asked excitedly. Daryl shook his head slowly.

“Nah. Mr. Grimes found me a motorcycle.”

“Seriously?” Carol asked. “That’s so cool! You’re going to let me ride it, aren’t you?”

“Hmm, maybe,” Daryl said with a smirk. “Tell ya what. After I pick it up tomorrow, I’ll swing by here. Let ya see it. Maybe we’ll even go for a ride.”

“That would be awesome!” Carol replied. 

“Alright then, I’ll swing by sometime in the afternoon.”

“Okay,” Carol agreed. She stood up first and Daryl followed silently as she led him to the front door. “So, I guess I’ll see you tomorrow,” she said quietly. 

“Yeah. See ya tomorrow,” Daryl agreed. Carol sighed to herself, moving forward to give him a hug. He hugged her tightly, and as he pulled back he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. “’Night, Carol,” he said, heading outside.

“Goodnight Daryl,” she replied, watching him leave. Once he was out of sight she closed the door softly, resting her head against it and breathing heavily. Tonight marked the second time that he’d kissed her forehead, and she tried desperately to ignore the twinge of regret she felt that neither of those kisses had been on her lips.


	12. Chapter 12

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! Sorry for the delay on this one, I've been super busy this week and I wanted to make sure I did this chapter right. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! :)

The following day, Carol sat anxiously in her living room. She tried watching some TV to pass the time, and she idly started reading in an attempt to make the time move by faster. She’d gone into the bathroom three times in the past couple hours, simply to make sure her hair was cooperating and to brush her teeth again.

She knew she was being silly. Of course Daryl felt nothing but friendship for her. That was obviously why he hadn’t made any sort of romantic gestures or anything. He stuck to chaste kisses on her forehead because they were simply acts of friendship for him, and Carol was being completely ridiculous to hope for anything more from him.

She sighed heavily, regret aching in her chest. After her relationship with Ed she hadn’t been ready to open up to anyone right away. She’d kept to herself almost entirely, refusing to let anyone inside her heart again. But then Daryl had come along and there had just been something so utterly special about him that she just couldn’t resist. She’d let him in and when she fell for him, she fell hard.

To think that Daryl felt nothing but friendship for her made her heart break all over again. She’d known that she shouldn’t let him in, that she shouldn’t give him the ability to break her so soon after Ed. But she’d gone ahead and ignored her instincts, falling in love with him anyway. Was it too soon for her to be using that word? She didn’t think so. After all, she knew Daryl, and he knew her better than anyone. They understood each other, could relate to each other in a way that nobody else could, and the only reason that she was feeling even remotely okay these days was entirely because of him. All those nights that she’d spent praying for something to happen, for someone to come and save her, had led up to him. She hadn’t known it then but she’d been praying for someone like Daryl to come along, swooping in on their broken wings and carrying her away from this pain, away from this sorrow. And in time, this perfectly imperfect angel with their broken wings could help her heal from her own pain and move on, stronger than ever before.

The deafening roar of an engine cut through Carol’s thoughts and she bolted from the couch, racing excitedly for the front door. When she yanked it open she found Daryl sitting in the driveway, perched on top of his new motorcycle.

“Wow, look at you,” she said appreciatively, walking outside to meet him. He cut the engine, kicking down the kickstand and climbing off of the bike.

“Ya like it?” he asked proudly.

“Hell yeah,” she replied, walking around the bike so that she could get the full view. “Are you going to teach me to ride it?”

“Pfft,” Daryl snorted. “I ain’t much of a teacher.”

“Alright then, how about you just let me go for a ride with you?” Carol asked with a grin.

“Done,” Daryl said. He climbed back onto the bike, straightening it as he lifted the kickstand. “Hop on.” Carol more than willingly obliged, swinging her leg over the bike and settling herself behind him. She wrapped her arms around his waist, holding on tight. He glanced back at her.

“Okay?” he asked quietly. Carol wasn’t sure if she imagined it or not, but he seemed to be just as aware of her hands around his waist as she was.

“Yep,” she replied. “Ready when you are.”

He fired up the bike, revving the engine a few times. Carol giggled against his shoulder, and he glanced back at her with a smile.

“Hold tight, now,” he told her. They took off, slowly at first, gradually picking up speed as they went. Carol squealed in delight as they rounded a corner, her curly hair whipping around her face. She held on tighter, and she could feel Daryl’s heart beating fast against his chest. She wondered if he could feel her heart racing too, since her chest was pressed so tightly up against his back.

When Daryl started slowing down, Carol looked around to determine where they were. She saw signs for a park up ahead, and realized they were close to the edge of town. They must’ve been driving for a while. Daryl pulled into a parking spot, cutting the engine.

“How was that?” he asked, looking over his shoulder at her.

“That was exhilarating!” she replied excitedly. He held the bike steady while she climbed off, and then he climbed off after her.

“Ya wanna hang out here for a little while?” he asked.

“Sure,” Carol said with a shrug. She watched as he reached into a small compartment on the back of the bike, pulling out two small bottles of lemonade and handing one of them to her. She took it and watched as he proceeded to pull out a bag of potato chips.

“Mrs. Grimes thought we might get hungry,” he said, closing the compartment and leading the way over to an open picnic table. He sat down on one side, and Carol was about to take the seat opposite from him when he smiled over at her, patting the seat beside him. “C’mon,” he said.

Carol didn’t need to be asked twice. She slid into the seat beside him, and he held the bag of chips open for her first. She took one with a smile, and he returned it as he popped a chip into his mouth.

“Never been here before,” he said, looking around himself. “It’s nice.”

“Yeah, it is,” Carol agreed. “I haven’t been here in ages. I forgot how pretty it was.” They ate their potato chips in silence for a few moments, until a question popped into her head. “If you’ve never been here before, then how did you know where to find it?”

“Mrs. Grimes told me ‘bout it,” he said. “Said it was really pretty, ‘n she told me some story ‘bout how Rick used t’ bring his ex-girlfriend Lori here.”

“Yeah, I could see this being a nice place for a romantic date,” Carol said, admiring the river flowing by peacefully and the flowers surrounding the stone path leading up the hill.

“That’s uh, kinda why I brought ya here,” Daryl mumbled, running a hand awkwardly through his shaggy hair. Carol stared at him.

“Daryl Dixon, are we on a date right now?”

Daryl shrugged shyly. “We are if ya wanna be,” he said, and Carol could see the doubt behind his eyes. Could he really have thought that she wouldn’t want to go on a date with him? 

“Then I guess we’re on a date,” she said with a smile. His face brightened instantly, and the smile he gave her was the sunniest one she’d ever seen him smile.

They sat in silence again, picking at the potato chips, until Daryl finally spoke. “So, speakin’ ‘a dates, Rick said he ‘n Michonne had fun last night.”

“Ugh, I hate that you’re getting all this gossip before I am!” Carol exclaimed. “Did they get pizza and ice cream like you said?”

“Yeah, ‘n Rick said he kissed her goodnight.”

“Stop,” Carol said dramatically. “How the hell did she not call me screaming about it?”

Daryl shrugged. They sat in silence for another few moments before Daryl stood up. “C’mon,” he said, holding out his hand for her.

“Where are we going?” she asked, taking it as she stood up to follow him.

“I wanna see the view from the top,” he said, leading her up the stone path. She smiled as she followed him, feeling the warmth that flowed through their interlocked fingers as they walked up the hill. When they reached the top, Carol stood beside Daryl to admire the view. The river flowed at the foot of the hill, and flowers of all different colors and sizes lined the grass that covered either side of the riverbank. Carol thought she’d never seen anything more beautiful in her life.

“Wow,” she said.

“Yeah,” Daryl agreed. He smiled shyly over at her, and she returned the smile without hesitation. “So, was this a good first date idea?” he asked shyly.

“It most certainly was,” Carol told him. She still couldn’t believe that she was actually on a date with Daryl. Just thinking about it made her want to do a backflip or something to let out some of her excitement.

“Let’s just stay up here for a bit,” Daryl suggested, releasing her hand and sitting down in the soft grass. Carol seated herself beside him, reaching over to reclaim his hand in hers. He smiled at her, rubbing his thumb gently across her knuckles.

“Didn’t actually think ya’d wanna go on a date with me,” he mumbled shyly, his eyes glancing awkwardly away from hers.

“Daryl, of course I wanted to go on a date with you, how could you even think that I wouldn’t?” He glanced at her hopefully and she sighed. “I thought it was you that didn’t want to go on a date with me.”

“Are ya crazy?” he grumbled, his face blushing crimson. “Who wouldn’t wanna go on a date with you?” Carol felt herself blush too, and she stared down at their clasped hands. She could feel him staring at her, but for some reason she couldn’t quite bring herself to meet his eyes.

“Carol.”

She nearly jumped at the sound of her own name, but she brought her eyes up slowly to meet Daryl’s clear, blue gaze.

“You’re the most amazin’ girl I ever met,” he told her. She felt her breath catch in her throat, and she willed him silently to continue. “You’re beautiful,” he added, which made her blush. “’N ya deserve so much better than how that asshole treated ya. ‘N I was hopin’ that maybe you’d give me a chance to be that guy for ya, but I was also kinda scared t’ ask, ‘cause I didn’t know if it’d be too soon for ya.”

“Daryl,” she said tearfully, holding his hand a little tighter. “You’re amazing, you know that? Absolutely amazing.” He ducked his head in embarrassment. He clearly didn’t know how to take a compliment. “And I just want you to know, that I _want_ you to be that guy for me, and I have for a while. It’s not too soon for me.” His eyes locked with hers, so full of hope and nervousness and maybe even a hint of fear, but underneath it all there was something else, something Carol felt too but couldn’t quite put into words yet. “I’m ready, Daryl.”

He smiled then, releasing her hand so that he could wrap his arms around her, pulling her against his chest. She sighed and leaned into his embrace, closing her eyes as her own arms came up around him. He pressed a kiss to her temple, and Carol thought for a moment that her heart might burst from all the happiness she was feeling. They sat there for a while longer, talking in hushed voices and simply enjoying the feel of sitting so close to each other. As the sun began to set somewhere beyond the trees and the crickets started chirping, Daryl finally suggested that they should get going.

They made their way back to the bike hand in hand, and when Carol climbed on behind him she slid her hands all the way around his waist, pulling herself right up against him. Throughout the ride home all she could focus on was him, on the feel of his back against her chest, and the way his arms looked as he clutched the handle bars. They pulled up in front of her house entirely too soon, and Carol reluctantly climbed off of the bike. He climbed off after her, smiling as he took her hand and he walked her to the door.

“This was so much fun, Daryl,” she said quietly.

“Yeah, it was,” he agreed. “Maybe next week I’ll take ya back there.”

“I’d like that,” Carol said softly, smiling up at him. He returned the smile, pulling her in for a hug. When he pulled back he kept his arms still wrapped around her shoulders, and he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

“I’ll see ya at school on Monday,” he said hoarsely, resting his forehead against hers.

“Okay,” Carol replied, trying not to sound too disappointed that she’d have to go a full 24 hours without seeing him.

“G’night, Carol,” he whispered.

“Goodnight,” she replied, staring into his eyes. _Kiss me_ , she thought suddenly. _Goddammit Daryl, I’m right here just kiss me!_

He stared down at her for a few moments longer, and Carol couldn’t help screaming internally about how badly she wanted him to kiss her. Much to her dismay, he released her then, turning and heading down the front steps. She sighed to herself, watching him walk down to his bike. She was just about to turn back around and enter her house when she saw him stop.

“Fuck,” she heard him say softly. “Fuck it. _Fuck._ ” He turned back around to look at her, and she offered him a small smile. He continued to stare for a moment before exhaling forcefully, surprising her by running back up the front steps two at a time. Before Carol could say anything he pulled her back into his arms, finally kissing her on the lips. She melted into the kiss, bringing her arms up around his neck and closing her eyes. This was the way she’d always wanted to be kissed, tenderly and yet passionately, leaving absolutely no room for doubt. Whatever confusing emotions she’d been feeling towards Daryl, he’d been feeling them too and finally, he was acting on them. Finally, he was kissing her. _Finally_.

When he pulled back Carol gazed up at him for a moment, smiling softly.

“Been wantin’ to do that for weeks,” he admitted, his cheeks blushing pink.

“Me too,” she admitted, and he smiled shyly. “I’m glad you finally did.”

“Me too,” he said, and he leaned in to kiss her again. She kissed him back with everything she had, and hoped to God that he’d never stop.

“I gotta go,” he said finally, pulling away from her. Carol felt a twinge of regret as she stared up into his blue eyes. “Mrs. Grimes is probably freakin’ out, I’m so late.”

“Okay,” she said sadly. He smiled at her again, leaning in for one more kiss.

“G’night Carol,” he said.

“’Night, Daryl,” she replied, and she watched wistfully as he turned to leave. She leaned against the porch raining to watch as he climbed onto his bike, revving the engine a couple of times. He glanced back at her one last time, before pulling out of her driveway slowly and driving off into the twilight. 


	13. Chapter 13

The entire drive home, Daryl’s mind kept drifting back to Carol. Or, more specifically, to Carol’s lips. And the way that they felt pressed up against his.

He’d thought about kissing her so many times he’d lost count. He frequently found his mind begin to wander off and think about what it would be like to hold her firmly against his chest, to run his fingers through her hair and to kiss her until both their lips were puffy and swollen.

He thought about the way it had felt to kiss her for real. He remembered how soft her lips were, and he self-consciously ran his tongue across his own lips. They were slightly chapped, and he made a mental note to put more of an effort into staying fully hydrated. He wanted to be the best boyfriend he could possibly be for Carol.

_Whoa. Slow your roll there, Dixon. Boyfriend?_ He felt his own cheeks flush as he thought the word. _You two went on one date ‘n ya kissed her goodnight. Ain’t nobody said nothin’ ‘bout you bein’ her boyfriend._

He shook his head angrily as he pulled into the Grimes’ driveway, trying to clear his head. The kitchen light was still on, and he knew that as soon as he entered the house, he would find Mrs. Grimes anxiously waiting up for him. It was, after all, her idea that he should even take Carol to that park, and Daryl had a sneaking suspicion that she’d wanted it to look as much like a date as possible. He killed the engine, sighing to himself as he walked up the walkway to the house, mentally preparing himself for the onslaught of questions he was sure Mrs. Grimes would have for him.

“There you are!” Mrs. Grimes said brightly when he walked through the door. “I was beginning to worry. Come on and sit down, I baked you some cookies while I waited.” Daryl sat down beside her, taking a cookie gratefully.

“Thanks,” he mumbled.

“You’re very welcome,” she replied with a warm smile. “So. Tell me. How did it go?”

Daryl tried not to groan audibly. “It was… fine,” he said lamely.

“Just fine?” she asked. “Not great? Not amazing or awesome? Just ‘fine’?”

“I mean, she liked the bike,” Daryl replied carefully. “Took her to the park you mentioned.  Ya weren’t kiddin’, it was real pretty there.”

“Would I ever steer you wrong?” she asked with a smile.

“S’pose not,” he mumbled. She looked at him then, not expectantly, but eagerly. It was then that he saw a trace of something flash in her eyes and he understood that she didn’t actually expect him to tell her anything. She clearly hoped that he would, but there was a sort of acceptance there that he knew was all for him. Just as she’d given him that time to adjust until he was ready to enter their home on his first night with the family, she was giving him that time again now. He didn’t have to talk about his feelings or about Carol until he was ready to, and he felt a wave of appreciation for Mrs. Grimes. Of all the foster parents he’d ever had to deal with, she was the only one who really seemed to understand. Sure, Mr. Grimes was cool and nice enough and bought him his motorcycle, but Mrs. Grimes understood him in a way that not many people could, and it made him desperate to not disappoint her. It was a bizarre feeling – he’d never felt that way with anyone before.

“It was a date,” he said quietly, staring at the cookie in his hands. “We talked ‘bout it ‘n agreed that we were on a real date.”

Mrs. Grimes’ face lit up. “You did? Oh my goodness Daryl, that’s wonderful!” she exclaimed happily. “Oh, I just knew you two would figure it out, I could tell just how much you both liked each other. Oh Daryl, I’m so happy for you.” She wrapped her arms around him tightly, hugging him. Without even thinking about it, Daryl brought his arms around her as well, hugging her back. He’d never actually hugged anyone besides Carol before, and he almost couldn’t believe it himself that his arms were actually around Mrs. Grimes right now.

“I kissed her,” he mumbled quietly.

“You didn’t,” she whispered breathlessly, pulling back just enough to look at him. He nodded sheepishly. “Oh, _Daryl_ ,” she said emphatically, pulling him to her again. “Look at you, all grown up. You’re like a completely different person than you were your first day here.”

Daryl knew that she was right. When he’d first come to stay with the Grimes family, he really hadn’t had high expectations. He figured this one would work out just like all the other foster families in the past – it wouldn’t. He’d figured that they’d get sick of him after a few months, just as they always did, and then he’d be off again, shipped out to live with some other stupid family in some stupid little town. He never could’ve anticipated that this one might actually work out better than the rest, that he would actually come to _like_ the Grimes family. Mrs. Grimes had actually come to feel somewhat like a mom to him, and he and Rick stayed up talking until the early hours of the morning all the time these days. Mr. Grimes had bought Daryl a motorcycle, and Daryl had even gone and made friends in school. He’d met Carol. Life in this small town couldn’t have possibly worked out any better for Daryl, and he’d be lying if he said that it wasn’t the most welcome surprise of his life.

“I know,” he agreed quietly. “It’s ‘cause of you guys.” She smiled tearfully at him, running a hand through his hair. “Never thought I’d actually… _like_ you guys.” A tear slipped down Mrs. Grimes’ cheek.

“Oh, honey,” she said. “You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you say that. You’re a part of our family now Daryl, and we love you so much.” She hugged him tightly again, and Daryl felt a lump rise in his throat. _He had a family. And his family actually loved him_.

After a few heartbeats Mrs. Grimes pulled back, wiping at her tears gently. “So, are you going to see Carol again tomorrow?” she asked, thankfully changing the subject. All this sappy talk had Daryl’s insides squirming.

“Nah, told her I’d see her on Monday at school,” he replied.

“What? Why?” Mrs. Grimes asked. “You guys should do something again tomorrow, spend some more time together!” Daryl thought for a moment.

“Ya think so?” he asked cautiously.  

“Of course I think so, I’ve seen the way you two look at each other,” Mrs. Grimes said. “I mean, you don’t have to if you don’t want to, but I’m sure Carol would love to see you again.” Daryl thought some more.

“What do I just show up at her house ‘n surprise her?”

Mrs. Grimes thought for a moment. “I was thinking you could call her tonight and make plans, but now that I think about it, spontaneity is far more romantic. So yeah, just show up at her house and take her somewhere. Do something fun.”

Daryl nodded slowly. “Alright,” he said. “I’ll stop by her house tomorrow.”

“Oh, goodie!” Mrs. Grimes said excitedly. “God, I am so happy for you Daryl, you don’t even understand.” Daryl smiled awkwardly, looking down at the table. He’d never had someone who actually cared about him the way Mrs. Grimes did. It was a nice feeling to be loved.

“Alright now, off to bed,” Mrs. Grimes said, leaning over to press a kiss to the top of his head. “You’ve had a long day, and you’ll need your rest if you’re going out with Carol again tomorrow.”

“Okay. ‘Night, Mrs. Grimes,” Daryl said, standing up and heading for the stairs.

“Goodnight, Daryl. I love you.” Daryl turned back to look at her, seeing the tearful smile she gave him. He’d been with the Grimes family for a few months now, and if anyone had told him a few months ago that he’d have a foster family that actually, truly loved him, he would’ve probably laughed in their face. But now, as he smiled back at Mrs. Grimes, he felt a sense of happiness that he’d never truly felt before. It was a good feeling.

“Love ya too, Mrs. Grimes.”


	14. Chapter 14

Carol had spent the entire night tossing and turning until she’d finally resolved to just lay on her back, staring up at the ceiling. She kept reliving that evening in her mind, remembering the way it felt to have Daryl’s lips pressed up against hers. And as much as she tried to keep her mind away from thoughts about Ed, she couldn’t help but compare the differences between the two of them. Kissing Ed had never been soft or romantic. Kissing him had been something forceful and possessive, and it felt more like he was claiming her as his territory. But kissing Daryl was something else entirely. She remembered how she’d felt watching him walk down her front steps the first time. She felt sad, almost as if she’d been rejected. She’d tried to make it as blatantly obvious as she possibly could, without being too pushy, of course, that she really did like Daryl. She’d even made sure he knew that they were definitely on a date in the hopes that maybe it would spark some inspiration in him.

Needless to say, she was feeling very disappointed as she watched him walk away from her. But when he’d turned back, running up those steps to finally take her in his arms and kiss her, God it just felt so _right_. Like everything that had ever happened to her before Daryl didn’t matter anymore. His lips were a little coarse against hers, but there was a surprising tenderness to them when he kissed her. The kiss wasn’t as forceful as Ed’s had been, but it was still strong enough that she could feel every ounce of emotion behind it. And when he leaned back in for another kiss, Carol thought she just might fly. She couldn’t believe this was actually happening, and she prayed to God that it would never end.

She must have finally dozed off at some point because the next thing she knew, the sun was shining in through her window and the chirping of crickets had been replaced by birds. With a sigh she got out of bed, brushing her hair and heading down to the kitchen to make herself some breakfast. She was just washing the dishes when she heard the doorbell ring. She glanced at the clock. It was just past noon, and Carol tried to remember if anyone was supposed to be coming by today. She couldn’t think of anyone. Puzzled, she went and opened the front door.

“Daryl!” she squeaked in surprise.

“Hi,” he said with a shy smile. He held a bunch of white flowers in a shaky hand, and Carol couldn’t help but smile when she saw them. “Uh, these are for you,” he mumbled, holding them out to her.

“Daryl, they’re beautiful,” she said, taking them gently from him.

“They’re uh, Cherokee roses,” he mumbled, looking at the flowers in an attempt to avoid meeting her gaze.

“I love them,” she said with a smile. “Thank you.” He looked up at her then, offering her a small smile in return. “Here, why don’t you come on inside.” She stood to the side so that he could enter her house.

She shut the door behind him with a click. “So, why don’t you wait in the living room while I go put these in some water, and while I uh, put on some clothes that aren’t pajamas.” Daryl glanced at her then, as if he hadn’t even realized what she was wearing, and Carol was suddenly very aware of the fact that she wasn’t even wearing a bra. _He probably can’t even tell, right?_

“Uh, sure. Okay.” Carol smiled at him once more before rushing off to the kitchen, finding a vase and filling it with water for the flowers. She then rushed upstairs, pulling on some jeans, a comfortable tank top, and her favorite blue sweater. The bruises on her arms had all faded by now, but there were still a few pink scars that she was very self-conscious of. She still wore her sweaters every day to conceal them.

With one last glance in the mirror, Carol headed back downstairs. She was glad that she’d at least thought to brush her hair before going downstairs that morning.

“Hey,” she said, coming into the living room to find Daryl seated on the couch. He turned to smile at her.

“Hey,” he replied as she sat down beside him.

“I thought you said you’d just see me at school,” she said bemusedly.

“Hmm, changed my mind,” he said with a grin. “Wanted to see ya sooner. Plus, I thought I’d be a little spontaneous.” Carol giggled at that.

“Well, I’m certainly not complaining,” Carol replied. “Spontaneous works for me.”

“Good,” Daryl said, shifting a bit. “So I was thinkin’ we could go into town, maybe get some ice cream or somethin’?”

Carol smiled at that. “Sounds good to me,” she said, hopping up off the couch. She held out her hand to him, and he took it without hesitation. They headed out the front door, and Carol was probably a bit more excited than she should have been to see his motorcycle parked in her driveway.

“So, are you going to teach me to ride this thing one day?” she asked as she climbed on behind him.

“Pfft, doubt it,” he said with a snort. He turned around to glance at her, and saw the sad little pout she was giving him. “Aw naw, don’t look at me like that,” he said sheepishly.

“Please, Daryl?” she asked. “I really want to learn how to ride a motorcycle.”

Daryl huffed out a sigh. “Alright,” he said reluctantly. “We’ll see.”

“Yay!” Carol said excitedly, hugging him from behind. “Thank you, Daryl!”

“Hey, I only said we’ll see,” Daryl said. “That ain’t a yes yet.”

“Not yet,” Carol replied with a devilish little smile. “Don’t worry Daryl, you’ll teach me one day.”

Daryl rolled his eyes as the engine roared to life. He pulled out onto the road, heading for the heart of town where all the shops were. They drove for a little while, and Carol still found herself enjoying the freedom she felt as the wind whipped through her hair. Being with Ed she’d felt so controlled, so constricted. But being with Daryl in moments like these, she’d never felt so alive.

Daryl picked a parking spot on the side of the main road, killing the engine. Carol hopped off first, and he was right behind her.

“So, whaddya wanna do first?” he asked, reaching over to take her hand as they headed into the center of town. There were little shops and food places, there was a town green and a cute little ice cream parlor. Carol looked over at him.

“You want _me_ to decide?” she asked incredulously. She’d gotten so used to being told what to say, think, or do, she’d almost forgotten what it felt like to make a decision for herself.

“Of course,” Daryl replied, giving her hand a small squeeze. “Today’s all about you. We’ll do whatever ya want.” Carol looked around herself in awe, trying to determine what they should do first.

“Gosh, I don’t know, there’s so much to see and do here,” she said with a sigh. “Um… why don’t we go over there and have a look around the little shops?” She pointed across the street, and Daryl nodded.

“Alright,” he said, already leading the way. They walked hand in hand, and Carol couldn’t help noticing how perfectly their hands fit together, how effortless it felt to interlock her fingers with his. Daryl led the way first to a shop on the corner called “Stookey’s Trinkets” where the store owner Bob Stookey sat outside next to a table full of clearance items.

“Hey there, and welcome to Stookey’s Trinkets! Can I interest you two little lovebirds in some of our clearance items? I’ve got some great jewelry here for your little lady friend,” he added with a smirk at Daryl.

“Uh, she’s just my… I mean… we’re just…”

“Ooh, Daryl, come over here and look at these earrings,” Carol said, mercifully saving him from his stammering self. She pointed out a small pair of red earrings, and Daryl looked at them with her.

“They’re uh, nice, I guess,” he said awkwardly. His eyes seemed to catch on something else. “How much for that?” he asked, pointing to whatever it was. Carol couldn’t quite tell.

“Eh, usually I’d sell it for fifteen, but since you’re both young and in love and whatnot, I’ll sell it to ya for ten,” Bob said with a toothy smile. Carol noticed Daryl trying to conceal his eye roll and she covered her mouth with her hand to stifle her giggles.

“I’ll take it,” he said, handing the money over to Bob. Bob took the money and reached across the table, picking up whatever it was that Daryl had just bought. When Daryl took it, Carol saw that it was a sparkling silver bracelet with small blue stones.

“Daryl,” she said quietly, looking up into his blue eyes.

“Gimme your wrist,” he said softly. She obliged, holding it out to him. He put the bracelet around her wrist, closing the clasp with shaking fingers. “Matches your eyes,” he said softly, looking at her with a small smile.

“Daryl,” she said softly, running her finger over the coolness of the bracelet against her skin. “Thank you.” She smiled up at him then, and before she could think too much about it she leaned forward on her tiptoes to press a gentle kiss to his lips.

“Oh yeah, mmhmm,” Bob said sarcastically from behind them. “Y’all are just friends, oh no, we aren’t in love or nothin’, nah Bob you’re _crazy_.” Carol and Daryl both turned to look at him. “Hey, I just call ‘em like I see ‘em,” Bob said with a shrug.

“Uh-huh,” Daryl said. “Well, thanks Bob. ‘Bye.” He took Carol’s hand gently, leading her on to the next shop.

“You two crazy kids stay out of trouble, now!” Bob called after them with a wave and a huge, goofy smile. Carol and Daryl walked past Andrea’s Floral Arrangements and Otis’ Guitars, not stopping again until they reached Jacqui’s Ice Cream Parlor.

“Ya wanna get some ice cream?” Daryl asked.

“Sure,” Carol said. He led the way inside the little shop to where the owner Jacqui stood waiting behind the counter.

“Good afternoon kids, and happy Sunday!” she called with a smile. “What can I get for you two?”

Carol looked at the list of flavors. “Um, I’ll have a scoop of rocky road, please.”

“Coming right up,” Jacqui said with a smile. “Anything for you, dear?”

Daryl thought for a moment. “Scoop of chocolate,” he said.

“Sure thing,” she said sweetly. She came back with two ice cream cones a moment later. “Rocky road for you,” she said, handing one to Carol. “And chocolate for your handsome little boyfriend over there.” She handed the second cone to a deeply blushing Daryl.

Daryl reached inside his pocket, pulling out some money and handing it to Jacqui.

“Daryl,” Carol said. “I can pay. You bought me my bracelet.”

“Stop,” he said sharply. “I told ya, today’s all ‘bout you. You ain’t payin’ for shit.”

Carol smiled at him. “Thank you, Daryl,” she said sweetly.

“You two cuties have a wonderful day now,” Jacqui said sweetly, handing Daryl his change. The two of them smiled in farewell, walking out of the shop licking their ice cream cones. Daryl reached over with his free hand, taking hold of Carol’s hand once again and interlocking their fingers together.

They continued to walk for a while, and Daryl seemed to be leading them to the town green. They came to a stop at a bench, and Carol moved to sit beside him. Their hands were still clasped together, and they licked at their ice cream cones in silence.

“So, what’s next?” Daryl asked eventually, once they’d finished their ice cream.

Carol shrugged. “It doesn’t matter to me,” she said. “I just like spending time with you.” She offered him a shy smile, and Daryl returned it easily.

“I like spendin’ time with you, too,” he mumbled, the tips of his ears turning pink. They sat in silence for another few moments, before Daryl clearly his throat. “So, uh, I’ve been thinkin’,” he began.

“Okay,” Carol replied, turning on the bench to face him intently.

“Uh, well, we went on a date ‘n I kissed ya ‘n everythin’,” Daryl mumbled, the blush now spreading to his cheeks. “’N well, I was just wonderin’… did ya wanna be my girlfriend, Carol?” Carol’s eyes snapped up to meet his in surprise. She’d hoped, sure, that the two of them could be something more, but she hadn’t even imagined that he would be the one to ask her so soon.

“Daryl,” she said quietly, bringing a hand up to rest against his cheek. “Of course I want to be your girlfriend.” He sighed a heavy sigh of relief, and Carol laughed softly. He laughed with her then, and he wrapped his arm around her as he brought his lips gently to hers. She closed her eyes as she kissed him back, leaning further into him and deepening the kiss. She’d been dreaming of doing this for so long, the fact that it was finally happening in real life made it difficult for her to think straight.

“Didn’t think ya’d actually say yes,” Daryl said quietly, resting his forehead gently against hers.

“Of course I said yes,” Carol replied seriously. “You’re amazing, Daryl. I’d have to be crazy if I didn’t want to be your girlfriend.” He smiled shyly at that. “To be honest, I wasn’t so sure that you even wanted me to be your girlfriend.”

“Well then, you’re definitely crazy,” he said with a teasing grin. “It’s pretty much all I wanted since I met ya.” Carol smiled easily at him, leaning in for another kiss.

She couldn’t quite explain what she was feeling in that moment. After Ed she’d feared that she’d never open up to anyone ever again, that she’d never be able to trust someone enough to let them get close to her. But she knew Daryl. And Daryl actually understood her. She knew in her heart that he would never hurt her. And as they sat together on that park bench, kissing each other softly in the midday sun, Carol knew that Daryl held her heart now. She trusted him with it, trusted him not to break it now that she’d finally managed to put all the pieces back together. As long as she had Daryl, she’d never be broken the way that Ed had broken her. She’d never have to suffer through that kind of pain again. As long as she had Daryl, she would be just fine. Which was why she’d resolved to never let him go. 


	15. Chapter 15

Monday morning dawned bright and early, and Carol rose with the sun to get ready before school. She'd thought about it the night before, and ultimately resolved to get up extra early to get herself ready for the day. She showered first, meticulously shaving her legs until they were dolphin smooth. She also lathered herself with her favorite lavender scented body wash, and she even washed her hair. When she stepped out of the shower she felt clean and refreshed and she towel dried her hair, adding in a few different products so that her curls fell just the way she wanted them to. 

Once she was satisfied with her hair she did something she hadn't done in ages - she pulled out her old make-up bag, carefully applying some subtle eyeliner, mascara, and blush. She'd never been one to wear a lot of make-up, but Ed had never allowed her to wear it when they were dating and she hadn't worn any since. He'd asked her one day, "Who're you tryin' to impress? Ya already got me, you don't need nobody else. Don't wear that shit, it'll make other boys look at what's already mine." And that had been the end of it. Carol had shoved all her make-up out of sight, not even wanting to look at it. She hadn't really minded at first, but as time went on she thought she'd like to be able to wear some make-up and feel pretty every once in a while. It had taken her this long to gain the confidence to wear it again, but hell, she figured today was the day. She officially had a new boyfriend, and he told her she was beautiful – and he actually meant it. He held her hand in public and told her how amazing she was. He kissed her softly, never wanting to overstep and do something she wasn't comfortable with. Daryl was entirely focused on her and her needs, and she knew he would have no objections to her wearing make-up.

She also knew that he wouldn't object to the outfit she'd picked out for the day. As she slipped into her baby blue sundress, she imagined what Ed would have said.  _Who you tryin' to impress? Don't show so much skin, other boys will look. Just put some damn pants on, I don't want ya wearing no damn dress._

She gave her head a shake, clearing her mind from any thoughts of Ed. Today, she was going to do something for herself. Today, she was going to feel like the pretty girl she knew she was. And she was going to enjoy every second of it. She'd even gone and painted her nails the night before, something else which Ed forbade but she'd greatly missed. Now, she looked down at her pale pink toenails, wiggling her toes and smiling to herself. She slipped into her favorite pair of sandals, the ones that were too flashy and revealed too much skin for Ed's liking, and she felt like a brand new person. A brand new Carol. 

Last but not least, she shrugged into a dark blue sweater. Although most of her scars had faded, there were still a few which stubbornly remained, serving as reminders of what she'd been through. She was at the point where if anyone noticed them they didn't look like finger marks anymore, so she could probably pass them off as simple injuries if she had to. She'd even practiced a story about climbing and falling out of a tree. But when it came down to it, she still pulled on those sweaters every day to simply hide the evidence of her past. She wasn't sure what she was more ashamed of - the scars or the fact that she was even ashamed of them at all. She knew none of what had happened to her had been her fault, and she had nothing to be ashamed of. And yet she still couldn't bring herself to leave the sweaters at home. 

With a sigh, she looked at the finished product in the mirror and couldn't help smiling at what she saw. Ed would never have let her dress like this, and she smiled at her own reflection.  _This is a new beginning_. 

Daryl's motorcycle roared into her driveway about twenty minutes later. She'd been bouncing on the balls of her feet in anticipation, anxious to see him. They'd agreed that he would give her a ride to and from school from now on, and he'd also said that one day in the near future he might even teach her how to ride the bike on her own.

When she opened the front door, she found Daryl already standing on her front steps. His eyes widened when he saw her, and she smiled shyly at him. 

"Hi," she said.

Daryl simply stated at her, his mouth hanging open slightly. 

"Daryl?" she asked with a soft giggle. "Everything okay?"

He seemed to realize he'd been staring, and he quickly snapped himself out of his trance. "Uh, ya look really beautiful," he said, blinking a few times. 

She could feel herself blush as she smiled at him. "Thank you," she mumbled back. "I haven't worn a dress in ages." She didn't tell him why, but one look into his clear blue eyes told her that he understood. 

"Well, I think ya look beautiful," he told her. "'N ya know ya can wear whatever ya want now. Ain't no one to tell ya what to wear anymore." She smiled at him, leaning in to give him a gentle kiss on the cheek.

"Thank you, Daryl," she said softly. She pulled the door closed behind herself, and the two of them walked over to Daryl's bike. He climbed on first, holding it steady so that Carol could climb on behind him, sitting gently on her dress so it wouldn't blow around in the wind. 

"This is a lot harder to do in a dress," she said, settling herself against his back and wrapping her arms around his waist. 

"Ya okay?" he asked, looking back at her. 

"Yeah, I'm good," she assured him. 

Ten minutes later they were walking into the high school together hand in hand. He held open every door for her and he walked her to every class, giving her a gentle kiss goodbye as he headed in the direction of his own classes. 

The day was going by smoothly, and Carol received many compliments on her outfit from various friends and classmates throughout the course of the day. She was just heading for the cafeteria for lunch when she heard a gruff voice behind her. 

"You tryin' to impress someone, girl?" She whipped around to see Ed, his snarling face barely a few inches from her own. She gasped, taking a step back from him. 

"Definitely not you," she replied coolly, turning and heading quickly for the cafeteria. 

"Always told ya you looked ugly in dresses," Ed snarled after her. "Lets the world see them pale-ass legs of yours." Carol ignored him, plowing straight into the cafeteria. She heaved a sigh of relief when she saw Daryl already seated at their lunch table. 

"What's wrong?" he asked in concern as she approached. He must have been able to read her thoughts clearly just from her facial expression. "What'd he do? What'd he say? I'm gonna go bust his face open."

"No, Daryl. No, please," she said, grabbing his shoulders. He stopped instantly when he saw the pleading look in her eyes, and he brought his arms around her waist. She sighed, leaning into his embrace. "Just hold me, Daryl. Please." 

He pressed a soft kiss to her hairline. "Alright," he said gently. "But I see his ugly ass come anywhere near ya again, I'll stomp his ass." 

Carol smiled. "I know you will. Just please,  _please_ , don't get into trouble because of him. He isn't worth it." 

"Of course he ain't worth it," Daryl said, his unwavering gaze resting on her. "You are." 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you all enjoyed this chapter! And I hope you didn't think we'd seen the last of Ed! ;)


	16. Chapter 16

Carol hopped off the bike first, and when Daryl climbed off after her, he took her hand in his. Carol's parents were away on business again for the week, and she hated going home to an empty house. As soon as Daryl had heard that he'd immediately invited her over for dinner, knowing that Mrs. Grimes would be more than happy to see her again. He led the way inside, holding the door open for Carol as he went. 

"Mrs. Grimes?" he called. "I'm home!"

"Daryl, sweetheart, how was your da--" Mrs. Grimes came into view then, and she stopped when she noticed Carol standing beside Daryl. "You didn't tell me Carol was coming over today!" she said excitedly. "Carol my dear, it's so nice to see you again." She came forward with a smile, giving Carol a hug first, then moving to hug Daryl as well. "There's a plate of cookies on the counter in the kitchen if you'd like. I guess it’s a good thing I made as double batch last night."

"Thanks so much, Mrs. Grimes," Carol said sweetly. "I hope you don't mind me dropping buy uninvited like this, but Daryl said you wouldn't mind."

"No of course not, my dear, you know you're always welcome here," Mrs. Grimes said with a warm smile. "Heaven knows Glenn drops by uninvited every day, so I'm always prepared for guests. You can drop by any time."

Carol smiled sweetly in response. 

"Alright. You kids need anything, let me know, I'll be just in the other room," Mrs. Grimes said. Mrs. Grimes left the room, and Daryl turned to look at Carol. As she looked into his eyes she realized that through the entire conversation his hand had never left hers. She wondered idly what Mrs. Grimes must have thought of that. 

"So, whaddya wanna do now?" Daryl asked, running his thumb soothingly over her knuckles. 

"It doesn't matter to me," she said with a shrug. "We could just sit and talk. Or watch a movie."

"God, just no more damn chick flicks," he said, rolling his eyes. Carol giggled softly. He smiled at the sound, and looked at her smiling face. "Come on, let's go sit down." He led her into the living room, smiling easily at Mrs. Grimes who was seated on the couch, before proceeding out to the backyard. There was a full patio set-up on the grass, including an umbrella over the table, and six chairs. Further down the grass there was a park-style bench looking out on a small creek running behind the house. Daryl headed straight for the bench, pulling Carol to sit beside him and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. 

"Wow Daryl, this is beautiful," she said appreciatively, watching the ripples of water as the creek flowed peacefully past. 

"Yeah," he said softly. "When I first moved in here, I used to come out here all the time, 'n just kinda watch the creek run by. I liked bein' alone back then." 

Carol glanced over at him. "And now?" 

"Now Rick comes out here with me sometimes. Now I got you. Now I actually like bein' around other people." Carol smiled at that. 

"I'm glad. I like being around you, too," she said. He gave her that adorable little half smile that she'd come to love so much, and she leaned in to nuzzle his shoulder gently. "You're a lot more open to people now," she observed. "You're so different from the way you were when I first met you." 

"I know I am," he said gently. "But hey, you're different now, too." Carol glanced down at her outfit for the day and smiled to herself. She'd worn a different sundress every day that week, and the one she wore today was a pale pink that matched her painted nails. She'd forgotten how much she loved dresses. She loved the freedom she felt every time she pulled one on, and she loved how she always felt more like herself in a dress. Especially now that she'd been confined to pants for so long - she was going to wear all the dresses she wanted to for a very long time. 

"I'm very different now," she said quietly. Her eyes darted up to meet his. "And it's all because I met you, Daryl. I've been wanting to say thank you."

"You don't gotta thank me," he said awkwardly, ducking his head a little. "I'm just glad you're happy now, that's all." 

Carol smiled up at him. "I'm very happy with you, Daryl." She leaned into him for a kiss, closing her eyes as everything else around her melted away into oblivion. All that mattered in that moment was the feel of Daryl's lips and hers, molded together in a perfect fit, like two pieces of a puzzle that had finally been brought together. It absolutely blew her away how perfectly they fit together, and she still struggled to wrap her head around how two people could be so perfectly made for each other.

"Hey Daryl, Carol, I'm making spaghetti and meatballs for dinner, is that okay?" They heard the back door swing open, and broke apart quickly to find Mrs. Grimes looking out at them. "Oh, I just ruined a moment there, didn't I?" she asked sweetly. "Sorry. But seriously, are spaghetti and meatballs okay?" 

"That sounds great, Mrs. Grimes," Carol said awkwardly, feeling herself blush a deep red. 

"Okay, good. And I know Daryl will eat whatever I cook. Okay. Go back to kissing each other, sorry to interrupt." She swung the door closed quickly behind herself, and Carol turned back to look at a bright red Daryl. She giggled softly. 

"What's so funny?" he asked gruffly. 

"Nothing. I just think it's cute when you blush," she said with a smile which only made his already red face blush a few shades deeper. She sighed, leaning in for another chaste kiss. She leaned into his arms then, relishing in the feel of his strong arms wrapped around her. No one had ever held her the way that Daryl did, passionately yet tenderly, in such a way that made her both comfortable and assured of his feelings for her. It was one of her favorite parts of being with Daryl, and she seriously hoped he'd always be there to hold her like that. 

When Mrs. Grimes called them inside for dinner, Carol took the seat beside Daryl. They held hands underneath the table through the entire meal, and Carol thought it was adorable how Daryl awkwardly ate with his left hand so that he wouldn't have to let go of hers. She'd gone to let go of his hand about halfway through the meal, but he'd simply held on to her a little tighter, intertwining their fingers together as if he was silently begging her not to move away. She smiled to herself, finding it cute how determined he was to remain physically close to her. The truth was, she craved his touch just as much as he needed hers, so she was secretly glad when he wouldn't let her move away from him that easily. At least with Daryl she knew that he wanted to be with her as badly as she wanted to be with him. 

Once the meal was over and Mrs. Grimes had stuffed everyone with as many cookies as they could possibly eat, Carol figured she'd better head home for the evening. It was getting late, and she still had a few things she needed to get done before school tomorrow. 

"Carol my dear, thank you so much for joining us tonight," Mrs. Grimes said, wrapping her up in one of those tight motherly hugs. "I really hope you can come over again soon." 

"I hope so too, Mrs. Grimes. Thanks so much for having me." 

"Oh, there's no need to thank me, you're basically part of the family now," Mrs. Grimes said with a smile. Carol reclaimed her hold on Daryl's hand and he moved to follow her out the front door. 

"Now Daryl, I want you home in half an hour," Mrs. Grimes called after them. "That should give you both plenty of time to say goodnight. It's still a school night." 

"Yes, ma'am," Daryl replied, leading Carol outside to his motorcycle. He waited while she got herself situated behind him before driving off in the direction of her house. When he parked in her driveway he practically flew off the bike after her, taking her firmly in his arms and holding her close. Carol squealed in delight as she wrapped her own arms around him.

"I hope ya had fun tonight," he mumbled into her shoulder. She smiled. 

"Daryl, I always have fun when I'm with you," she said softly. He pulled back enough to look at her, pressing his lips gently against hers. 

"Ya know, I really like ya, Carol," he said when he pulled back, the tips of his ears turning pink. Carol couldn't help the smile that spread across her own face at his words. 

"I really like you too, Daryl." He sighed, leaning in for another kiss. 

"I don't wanna leave ya," he said, bringing her against his chest as he held her close. Carol giggled at that. 

"Mrs. Grimes might come looking for you," she said. "It’s still a school night, after all." Daryl huffed out a sigh. 

"I know," he said against her shoulder. "But I really wanna stay here with you." Carol felt her breath catch in her throat. No one had ever made her feel like Daryl did, and no one had ever held her in as high esteem as he did. He made her feel special, made her feel wanted, and that was a feeling that she really hadn't known before him. He was so special to her in that regard, and she desperately wanted to tell him just how much he meant to her. 

"Hey," he said, pulling back just enough that he could see her face. "You okay?" She nodded sheepishly. 

"Yeah, I'm okay," she said softly. "It's just that... you're amazing, Daryl. Totally and completely amazing." 

"Stop." 

"I'm serious," she said, holding him a little tighter. "You're the most amazing person I've ever had in my life, and I'm so thankful that I have you." 

He smiled his awkward little smile at that, and he brought his lips to her forehead. "Ya know, you're pretty damn amazin' yourself," he said with a grin. "And I'm bein' completely serious." 

"I know you are," she said softly. "Which is why you're so amazing." She leaned forward and kissed him deeply, winding her arms around his neck and pulling him even closer to her. When they finally broke the kiss she sighed contentedly, resting her forehead against his. "Goodnight, Daryl."

"G'night, Carol. I'll see ya in the mornin'." With one last kiss she turned and headed inside, turning back to watch him leave from just inside the door. Only once his motorcycle was officially down the street and out of sight did she finally close the door, leaning her back against it and sighing in happiness. Daryl was honestly the best thing that had ever happened to her, and she was beyond grateful that she had someone like him in her life. 

She was just heading for the stairs when she heard the phone begin to ring. She ran to answer it. 

"Hello?"

"I miss ya already." 

"Daryl?" she asked with a small laugh. "It's been all of five minutes."

"I know," he said sadly. "'N the only thing that's keepin' me from drivin' right back to your house right now is the fact that Mrs. Grimes would kill me if I did." Carol laughed at that. 

"And we definitely wouldn't want that," she said. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Daryl." She could practically hear him blushing through the phone. 

"Don't know what I'd do without you," he mumbled back. "I'm goin' outta my mind without ya here right now." She smiled. 

"You'll get to see me in the morning," she said. He sighed heavily. 

"I know. I just really miss ya right now," he said. "Ain't never wanted to see someone this badly before." 

"I know how you feel," she said softly. "I miss you, too." This time, she could almost hear his smile. 

"Alright," he said softly. "I'll see ya in the mornin'. 'Night, Carol."

"Goodnight, Daryl." She hung up the phone feeling calm and content. It was the little things Daryl did that made her feel so special, the simple ways he let her know he was thinking about her, or that she was important to him. It was things like that that made her happier than she'd ever been, and it was also the reason that Carol could feel herself quickly falling in love with Daryl. And she knew she was definitely falling hard. 


	17. Chapter 17

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone! So, I really hope I did a decent job with this chapter. It's sort of been in my plans for this story all along, so I hope that it came out alright now that I've actually written it :)

It was Monday morning, and the news was all over school. Michonne had come running up to Carol's locker gleefully that morning to make sure that Carol got to hear all the gory details. 

"He's where?" 

"Grady Memorial Hospital. Apparently it's like his third concussion this season, so the doctors won't let him play anymore. He's devastated, and the rest of the team is seriously pissed." Michonne was practically vibrating, she was so excited. 

"Wait, I'm confused. What exactly happened?" 

"Apparently he got pissed off and tackled some guy after the whistle blew, and that was how he got the concussion. The tackle ended up costing them the game somehow because of whatever the refs did in terms of penalties, and now former-captain Ed Peletier is the most hated person in the entire senior class!" Michonne smiled happily at her. 

Carol's head was spinning. This was certainly not what she'd expected to hear when she'd walked into school that morning. "And when did all this happen?" she asked slowly.

"At the football game on Friday night. I was going to call you and tell you as soon as I heard last night, but I wanted to tell you in person so I could see your reaction." 

Carol leaned gently against her locker, letting herself process all this information. Ed Peletier's football career was over. The entire school hated him over one stupid thing he did. And Carol knew he was bound to be absolutely  _miserable_. 

She smiled in satisfaction just thinking about it. 

"Well, serves him right," she said. "I hope he's completely devastated. And I hope he cried." 

"I heard reports that he did," Michonne said with a grin. "Apparently Abraham Ford and a couple of other players went to visit him at the hospital on Saturday and Abe told Rosita, who told the rest of the cheer squad, who told everybody else in school that Ed was a blubbering mess." 

"Is it bad if I'm kind of happy about all this?" Carol asked. 

"Absolutely not!" Michonne exclaimed. "Girl, that boy deserves to get hit by a bus, a little concussion and the wrath of the entire high school is barely half the punishment that asshole deserves." 

Carol smiled at her friend. "Thanks, girl. I'm kind of sorry I missed all this." 

"Ugh, me too," Michonne agreed. "Although from what I heard, you had a  _wonderful_  evening with Daryl that night anyway." Carol glanced warily over at her. 

"I'm not sure I like the way you said that," she said slowly. "What exactly did you hear?" 

Michonne grinned devilishly at her. "Rick said he saw you two making out by the little creek in his backyard." 

Carol blushed at the memory. She hadn't planned on moving beyond hugs and chaste kisses with Daryl anytime soon, but on Friday night as they sat together in the dwindling light, his hands rubbing slow, soothing circles on her back, she just couldn't stop herself. The instant his tongue had hesitantly traced along her bottom lip she'd opened her mouth to him, giving him complete access. It scared the hell out of her to think that she had willingly let his hands wander up and down her arms and back, pulling her close to him while his tongue moved against hers. In the moment she hadn't even thought about it - she'd simply let her body take over, surrendering completely to Daryl's touch. It terrified her to think she was letting another boy into her life and heart in that way again, but she told herself that everything would be alright this time. After all, this was Daryl. Daryl cared about her, and he would never force her to do anything she didn't want to do. While she was still terrified at this latest progression in her relationship with Daryl, she also knew that everything would turn out differently this time. 

Carol looked guiltily at Michonne, trying desperately to keep her thoughts of Daryl at bay. "Was Rick  _watching_  us?" she asked. 

"He said he thought he heard an animal moaning outside, and when he looked out the window you guys had your tongues down each other's throats." 

Carol's face flushed again and she covered her face with her hands. "Oh my God," she mumbled and Michonne laughed. 

"It's okay, honey. I'm just glad you and Daryl are happy together." Michonne smiled at her, and Carol returned the smile warily. 

"Thanks," she said quietly. 

"No problem. You know I'm always here for you. Which reminds me, if Daryl turns out to be even remotely like Ed, you send his ass to me. I'll make sure he never walks again." One look into Michonne's eyes told Carol that she was being completely serious. 

"I'm sure it won't ever come to that," Carol said. "But thanks." 

"No problem. Anyway, I'll see you at lunch, alright? Enjoy your Ed-free day, yeah?" With one last wave, Michonne headed off to class. With a glance down at her skirt and blouse that she knew Ed would have hated, Carol smiled softly to herself.  _Don't worry, Michonne. I will._

***** 

Carol stopped by her locker after school ended, dropping off the books she didn't need to take home with her. She jumped when she felt a pair of arms snake around her from behind, but she relaxed into the embrace when she recognized the familiar scent of Daryl. 

"Hey," she said softly, turning around in his arms to face him. 

"Hey," he said, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "How's your day been?" 

"Good," she replied, her hands resting gently on his shoulders. "Peaceful and Ed-free." She smiled at him, and he returned the smile easily. 

"Yeah, it's been a good day without havin' to deal with his ugly ass." Carol giggled softly. "C'mon," he said. "Let's go." She took his hand, entwining her fingers with his as they walked. They made their way to the back parking lot, climbing onto Daryl's bike together and driving to Carol's house. She led him inside, into the living room to sit on the couch together. 

“You know Rick was watching us make out Friday night?” Carol asked, settling herself in Daryl’s arms.

“Stop,” he said. She glanced up at him. “You serious?”

“Yeah, I’m serious,” she replied. “Michonne told me this morning.”

“He told Michonne?” Daryl exclaimed, his face blushing. “Who the hell else did he tell?”

“I don’t know,” she said with a shrug. “I mean, does it really matter? You kiss me at school all the time.”

“Yeah, but that ain’t people creepily watchin’ while my tongue’s in your mouth.” Carol giggled into her hand. He sighed heavily, looking down at her. She smiled at him, leaning in for a gentle kiss. She felt his arms tighten around her, holding her to him while he leaned in closer to deepen the kiss. She sighed as she closed her eyes, surrendering herself to his gentle caresses, enjoying the feel of his fingers trailing lightly up and down her back. When his tongue snaked its way out to trace lightly along her lip again, she immediately let him in, letting his tongue mingle gently with her own. Her fingers tangled themselves in his hair, holding him tight as she lost herself in a world that consisted only of Daryl. His hands laid flat against her back now, his palms gliding smoothly against the fabric of her sweater. It wasn’t until his hand dipped a little lower than usual, just barely grazing over the top of her ass that she pulled back quickly with a gasp.

“Sorry,” he said hastily. “Sorry, I’m sorry.”

Carol sighed, trying to regain control of her breathing again. “It’s okay, Daryl. I just… I don’t want to move too fast, here. I’m still trying to get used to the whole concept of being in a relationship again.” He nodded slowly, but remained silent. She could tell by the storm that was clearly raging in his eyes that something was still bothering him.

“What’s wrong?” she asked gently, turning his face so that he was looking at her. She could see him silently warring with himself, obviously deciding what he should say to her. “Whatever it is Daryl, you know you can always talk to me,” she implored, bringing her hand to rest against his cheek. He closed his eyes for a moment, letting out a heavy sigh.

“Just been thinkin’ ‘bout somethin’ he said, that’s all,” he replied hesitantly.

“Something that Ed said?” He nodded silently. “What did he say?”

Daryl sighed again, looking awfully uncomfortable. “Well, ya remember that day I first saw him talkin’ to ya in the hallway at school? ‘N he called me your boyfriend?” She nodded, remembering the encounter. He swallowed hard before continuing. “Well, y’know how he said I was scrawny? ‘N how I wouldn’t be able to… to make ya scream like he did?”

Carol thought back to that day, remembering exactly what Ed had snarled at her. _Bet he could never make ya scream in bed the way I did, huh princess?_ Just thinking about it made her insides crawl. And one look at Daryl’s dejected face only made it ten times worse. She knew exactly what he was thinking – she’d slept with Ed, but Daryl couldn’t even touch her ass without freaking her out. She felt her eyes fill with tears as she thought about how rejected he must have felt. She had to make him understand.

“Daryl,” she said. She could see the hurt written on his face, even though he clearly tried to conceal it. “You have to know that I… I never did anything with Ed that I… that I consented to. I never willingly did anything with him.” She watched his expression as she slowly said the words out loud, words she had never said to anyone before. She’d never actually consented to having sex with Ed – not once. As the reality of what she’d said hit Daryl, she saw a mix of understanding and anger flare in his eyes.

“He didn’t,” he whispered gruffly. Her eyes involuntarily filled with tears again as she looked down at her hands, now clenched tightly in her lap. “Carol.”

When she didn’t say anything, he tried again. “ _Carol_.” Slowly she brought her eyes up to look into his. She couldn’t tell what was going through his mind in that moment, but there was a mixture of several different emotions at war in his eyes. “He fuckin’ raped ya.”

As he said the words out loud, the words she’d never before been able to say, she felt the tears finally begin to fall. He held her tight against his chest as she sobbed, letting go of the one final secret she’d kept buried for so long. Daryl had known about the abuse, he’d seen her scars, but he hadn’t known about this. She’d been carrying it alone for so long, and now that it was out in the open for someone else to know she felt more naked and vulnerable than ever. Even if that someone was Daryl.

“Oh my God, Carol,” he mumbled against her curly hair. “Carol, I’m sorry. I’m sorry, Carol.” She continued to cry, muffling her sobs against his chest as he held her. She couldn’t say how long they sat there like that, but by the time she finally looked up into his face, she’d run out of tears to cry. She had nothing left.

“I’ve never told anyone before,” she said shakily. “No one else knows.”

His fingers trailed delicately down her tear-stained cheek, and he pressed a tender kiss to her forehead. “I’m sorry, Carol,” he mumbled into her hair. “God, ‘n now ya probably think I was pressurin’ ya to sleep with me…”

“No, no I know you wouldn’t pressure me into doing anything,” Carol cut him off. “You’re not like Ed. You… I know you actually care about me. The way that he never did. And I’m telling you this because I know that you’ll understand. I just need some time, Daryl. I’m getting there, but I need more time. Okay?”

“You got it,” he said firmly. “Take as long as ya need. Hell, you can take 100 years if ya need it.”

“You’d wait that long?” she asked shakily.

“I’d wait forever for ya, if I have to.”

The tears were back as she looked into his eyes. They didn’t seem to be at war with themselves anymore, but there was one emotion left in them as he looked at her, and it made her heart melt to think that he felt that way about her. She knew that she’d felt the same way about him for a long time now, and to think that he might actually feel that way about her gave her the surge of confidence she needed to say the words out loud. To finally tell him the way she felt.

“I love you, Daryl.” She barely even heard herself say the words, her voice was barely above a whisper. But it was obviously loud enough because Daryl’s eyes absolutely lit up as she said it.

“God, Carol. I love ya, too.” He didn’t even hesitate before saying the words back to her, and as he looked into her eyes she knew that this was it. Somehow she and Daryl had found each other in the midst of their own crazy, utterly fucked up lives. Somehow, they’d found love. It was crazy to think about, and it was damn near impossible, and yet somehow they’d been brought together, two broken people in this crazy world, and they’d managed to help put each other back together again. Now Carol couldn’t even imagine her life without him.

She brought her lips softly to his, smiling as she did. “I never thought I’d be able to fall in love,” she admitted, holding him close to her. “I thought I’d never let anyone in again, never let myself get close enough to fall in love with anyone.”

Daryl swallowed nervously, his arms still around her. “What changed your mind?” he asked gruffly.

“I met you,” she said simply. He smiled at that, a real, honest-to-God happy smile that lit up his entire face, and he leaned in for another kiss. She kissed him back with everything she had, leaning in to deepen the kiss as she boldly darted her tongue out to taste his lips. This time _he_ opened his mouth to _her_. It was a different feeling, being the one in command, the one in control, but she liked the feeling. It was exciting, openly kissing the boy she loved, the boy who loved her back. It was new and it was beautiful and it was honestly the most glorious thing she had ever felt.

When she had finished kissing him and pulled away for air, she snuggled up into his arms. He held her tightly to him, pressing gentle kisses into her hair in the silence that ensued. After a while, Carol finally spoke.

“Would you really wait for me forever?” she asked quietly.

“I’ve told ya before, I’ll do whatever makes ya happy,” he told her. “’N if I gotta wait forever to do that, then I will.” She turned in his arms then, facing him.

“One day I’m going to be ready,” she told him decisively. “And when that day comes, I’m going to make love to you Daryl Dixon, and as far as I’m concerned that’s going to be my first time. Okay?”

He smiled warmly at that. “Alright,” he said. “’N I’ll be right here with ya every day ‘til then.”

She leaned into him for another kiss. “I love you, Daryl Dixon.”

He closed his eyes, bringing his lips to hers. “I love you, too.”


	18. Chapter 18

When Daryl picked Carol up before school the following morning, he had a bundle of freshly picked cherokee roses for her. When she returned from putting the flowers in some water he wrapped her in a tight hug, holding her flush against his chest. 

"Thank you for the flowers," she said softly, her hands resting comfortably against his back. 

"Don't gotta thank me," he said gruffly, pulling back just enough to trace the line of her jaw with his fingers. "Just wanted to do somethin' nice for the girl I love." She smiled at that, kissing him back eagerly when he pressed his lips against hers. 

They spent as much of the day together as they possibly could. Whenever Carol got out of class, she stepped out of the classroom to find Daryl already waiting for her. He'd press a kiss to her forehead and take her hand, and he walked her to every single class. He'd kiss her goodbye just before each bell rang, and then he'd go darting off down the hallway so that he wouldn't be late for his own class. Carol was certain that he was late for his history class because he'd lingered a little too long with her, but he quickly assured her that he'd made it on time. Carol still wasn't quite certain she believed him, but he insisted that his teacher hadn't marked him tardy. 

They sat together during lunch with their fingers entwined and their legs pressed gently against each other under the table, both of them craving that sort of physical closeness. Ever since they'd told each other how deep their feelings ran for each other, they both seemed to feel an even deeper need to be closer together, as if they just couldn't get enough. They held hands everywhere they went, and they practically sat in each other's laps trying to get closer every time they sat beside each other. 

The entire motorcycle ride to Carol's house after school was perfect for them in terms of physical closeness. Carol was completely aware of every inch of her body that was pressed firmly against Daryl's back, and she could feel the firmness of his muscles through the cotton of his t-shirt. It was all she could focus on until they pulled into her driveway and a black car parked in front of the house captured her attention. 

"They're home early!" she exclaimed excitedly, jumping off the bike as soon as Daryl killed the engine. 

"Who?" he asked, climbing off after her. 

"My parents were supposed to get back from Chicago later tonight, but it looks like they're already back!" she said excitedly. "Come on, they're going to want to meet you." 

"Me?" he asked nervously, staying rooted in place when she tried to drag him up to the house. "Why would they wanna meet me?" 

"Because I told them all about you!" she replied. "Whenever they come home we talk for a while, and they catch up on everything they've missed while they've been away. So of course I told them all about my new boyfriend. They can't wait to meet you." She was aware of how uncomfortable Daryl suddenly looked. 

"I don't know..." he mumbled quietly. 

"Daryl, they're going to love you," she said gently, cupping his cheek with her hand. "Just come inside and say hello. I've told them you're kind of shy, so they'll understand why you're being so quiet." 

"What else did ya tell 'em 'bout me?" he asked quietly. 

Carol thought for a moment. "Well, I told them that you're living with the Grimes family. And I told them that you ride a motorcycle. And of course I told my mother all about how attractive you are," she said with a grin. "I also told them that you're sweet and kind and that you'll never do anything to hurt me." His eyes flashed up to meet hers then, and she smiled reassuringly at him. "I'm telling you Daryl, they like you already. Just come inside and say hello." 

He sighed in resignation. "Alright," he said softly. She leaned in for a gentle kiss. 

"Thank you," she told him. "Now come on." She took his hand in hers again, leading him up the walkway to the front door. She pushed open the front door, leading them both into the kitchen. 

"Mom? Dad?" She entered the room, finding both her parents seated around the table in the kitchen, a mug of coffee in each of their hands. "You're home early!" she exclaimed, releasing Daryl's hand so that she could run and hug her mother first, and then her father. 

"The conference ended a bit earlier than expected, and we were able to switch our flight around and get home a little sooner," her mother said, giving her a tight hug. We didn't tell you because we thought we'd surprise you." 

"I missed you guys," Carol said with a smile. 

"Aww, pumpkin, you know we miss you too when we're on the road," her father said, brushing a stray lock of hair behind Carol's ear. 

"And this young man must be Daryl, right?” her mother asked warmly.

Carol watched as Daryl swallowed, clearly trying to set aside his uneasiness. "Yes, ma'am," he replied. 

"It is so nice to finally meet you, Daryl." Her mom came over to him, giving him a warm hug. Carol smiled as he hugged her back gently and somewhat awkwardly. "Our Carol's told us the nicest things about you. You'll have to stay for dinner and tell us all about yourself." 

"Oh, no I have to be gettin' home soon," Daryl said quickly. "Thank you, though." Carol couldn't help but smile at the sight of Daryl trying to be polite. 

"Aww, well, some other night, then," her mother said warmly. "We'll be home through the entire weekend, so you'll have to stop by for dinner one night. Alright?" 

Daryl nodded silently. "Alright," he said. "Thank you." Her mother smiled warmly at him. 

"And just so we're clear," Carol's father said sternly from his seat. "You're to treat my little girl right, young man. You ever hurt her and I will find you. Do I make myself clear?" 

"Dad," Carol said in exasperation, but Daryl was already nodding in response. 

"Don't worry sir, I won't ever hurt Carol. That's a promise." 

Her father looked satisfied by that answer, giving Daryl a brisk nod. "Good. That's what I like to hear." Carol couldn't help but smile, knowing that Daryl would always keep that promise. 

"Well, it was lovely to meet you Daryl," her mother said. "We'll definitely see you again soon." 

"Of course. I'll let Carol know tomorrow which day I'm comin' over," he said. "Nice meetin' ya." With one final smile at her parents, Daryl turned and exited the room, followed by Carol. 

"See, that wasn't so bad," Carol said gently once they'd reached the front door. "I told you, they like you already." 

Daryl sighed. "Yeah, but I don't know if I can sit through a whole damn dinner with 'em," he said gruffly. "That in there was hard enough." 

Carol smiled at him, bringing her arms around his neck. "I have complete faith in you," she told him. He pulled her in for a kiss, and she closed her eyes, leaning into him with a sigh. "I love you, Daryl."

"I love ya, too," he said softly. "I'll see ya tomorrow, okay? Go 'n hang out with yer folks tonight." Carol kissed him one more time. 

"Okay. See you tomorrow." She closed the door behind him after he'd already driven away, heading back into the kitchen to find both her parents waiting for her. 

"Oh honey, you weren't kidding. That boy is seriously cute," her mother said excitedly. 

"I am not going to be a part of this conversation," her father said quickly, standing up and taking his coffee with him. Carol's father always seemed to run the opposite direction whenever the subject of boys and dating came up. He pressed a quick kiss to the top of Carol's head. "I'll see you later, pumpkin." 

"Okay, Daddy," Carol said, taking his now vacant seat as he left the room. 

"So. You love him, right?" her mother asked eagerly. Carol sighed. 

"I do," she said. 

"And you've told him?" 

"Of course," she replied. 

"And he obviously loves you too." 

Carol was slightly taken aback by that. "He does," she said hesitantly. "How did you know?" 

"I could just tell by the way he was looking at you," her mother replied. "We mothers can just tell when it comes to this sort of thing." Her mom smiled that same warm smile at her, until suddenly her expression shifted. "Does he know anything about Ed?" 

Carol swallowed, nodding silently. "They've actually met each other," she said slowly. 

"Really?" her mother asked anxiously. "How did that go over?" 

"Daryl sort of punched Ed in the face," Carol said slowly. "And he kind of broke his nose." 

"Good. Serves him right for hurting my baby girl," her mother said curtly. "I'm liking this Daryl boy more and more already." Carol couldn't help smiling at that. Then her mother's expression shifted again. "Speaking of Ed," she began slowly. "Were there things you never told me about him?" 

Her mother must have noticed Carol's alarmed expression because she covered her face in her hands for a moment, taking a deep breath. "Carol, did he hurt you? And I don't just mean when he broke up with you." Carol couldn't breathe.  _How had her mother known?_

Almost against her better judgement, Carol nodded silently. Her mother sighed heavily. 

"Oh baby," she said softly, reaching over to cradle her daughter's face in her hands. "Why didn't you talk to me about it?" Carol shrugged sadly. 

"I didn't know what to say," she replied. 

Her mother sighed again. "And Daryl. Does he know?" Reluctantly, Carol nodded. "How did he find out?" 

Carol brought her tear-filled eyes up to her mother's. "He... he saw," she said softly. 

"Saw what?" her mother asked. "Carol honey, what did he see?" Carol sighed. _It was now or never_. Slowly, she unbuttoned her sweater, freeing her arms for her mother to see. She watched as the tears spilled from her mother's eyes as she took Carol's arm in her hands, running a gentle finger along the most prominent scar Carol had. 

"Oh my baby," she said softly. "My poor baby. Why didn't you tell me? You know I would have helped you, why didn't you tell me?" Her mother was full on crying now, and she took Carol in her arms, holding her tight while she cried. "How did I not see it? How did I not figure it out? God, what kind of mother am I?" 

"Mom, stop it," Carol said gently, pulling back to look at her mother. "You're a great mom. I couldn't have asked for anyone better. But I didn't want to tell you. I didn't tell anyone. And it hurt for a while, and I was sad for a while, but I'm okay now. Alright? I'm okay, Mom." She looked into her mother's blue eyes, the same ones that she'd inherited, and her mother swiped away her tears quickly. 

"I know, baby. I know. God, you're so strong. So beautiful and strong. I'm so proud of you, you know that right?" Carol nodded, leaning in to give her mother another hug. 

"I know, Mom. And I promise, I'm okay now. It took a little while, but I'm okay. I just want to move past it now and forget all about Ed." 

Her mother nodded, sniffling slightly. "Okay," she said. "Okay. I won't ever bring him up again, unless you want to talk about it. Okay?" 

Carol nodded firmly. "Okay." 

Her mother sighed, hugging her tightly again. "I'm sure having Daryl is going to be good for you," her mother told her. 

"He's already been good for me," Carol replied simply. "I told you Mom, I'm good. I'm finally okay again. Alright?" Her mother nodded. 

"Alright. I love you so much, my baby girl. You know that, right?" 

"I know, Mom. I love you, too." 

She hugged her mother again and she thought about her life right now. She was free of Ed, she had an amazing new boyfriend who loved her, and she was finally free from all the secrets she’d kept to herself for so long. For the first time in a long time, she knew that everything would be alright. 


	19. Chapter 19

"Mamet you ignoramus, you forgot to divide first! My goodness, it's a wonder you managed to pass the first grade with an inferior mind such as yours." 

"Eugene would you give it a rest already?" Glenn grumbled around a mouthful of food. "Not all of us want to solve math problems during lunch." 

"Well excuse me for trying to keep my mind as sharp as it is," Eugene replied pompously. "You know, knowledge is something which must be sought." 

"Oh, for the love of God," Rick said, rolling his eyes. 

Daryl was seated beside Carol, his arm wrapped lightly around her middle while she picked at a sandwich. 

"I asked them for no tomatoes," she mumbled, picking the offending pieces of tomato from her sandwich. "Do you like tomatoes?" she asked Daryl, glancing over at him. 

He shrugged. "I'll eat pretty much anythin'," he replied. 

"Good, I hate wasting food. Here, open up." She held a piece of tomato in front of him, and Daryl easily obliged, opening his mouth and letting her drop the tomato on his tongue for him. 

"Ugh, don't look now, the lovebirds are being adorable again," Glenn grumbled. 

"Yeah, because you and Maggie have never acted like an adorable little couple," Carol said sarcastically, offering another piece of tomato up for Daryl to eat. As he grabbed the tomato between his teeth he pressed a quick kiss to Carol's outstretched fingertips, causing Carol to squeal loudly in surprise. 

"Oh God, you two are so cute it's disgusting," Tara groaned. "If you don't cut that out, then don't blame me when my lunch makes a reappearance." 

"Don't you dare puke on me!" Michonne shrieked, sliding her chair away from Tara's and closer to Rick's. 

Daryl watched Carol as she laughed along with everyone else. She'd been absolutely radiant lately, smiling and laughing easily, and jumping right into conversation with her friends. Her eyes sparkled when she smiled like that, and Daryl was completely mesmerized by her. He loved seeing that she was happy, and the sound of her laugh warmed his heart. She was clearly more sure of herself now, more confident and more willing to offer her opinion on things. She was completely different from the shy, quiet girl with the tear-filled eyes that Daryl had first met when he moved to town, and he couldn't help but notice how she seemed to get more and more beautiful every day. 

After the bell rang to signal the end of lunch, Daryl grabbed Carol's trash along with his own and threw it away. He took her hand in his, walking with her in the direction of her history class. For the rest of that week, Carol had been happier than Daryl had ever seen her. He knew she loved spending time with her parents, especially since she frequently went for such long periods of time without seeing them at all. Ed Peletier was also still out of school recovering from his concussion, and neither Carol nor Daryl missed seeing his ugly face for one second.

It had also made Carol immensely happy when Daryl had told her that he would come over to her house for dinner that Friday night. He was feeling nervous about it, but Carol kept assuring him that everything would be just fine. She swore up and down that her parents loved him already, and that he had absolutely nothing to be worried about.

“So, my parents wanted to know what we should do for dinner on Friday night,” Carol said. “I told them we always get pepperoni pizza on Fridays, so that’s what they’re going to order for us.”

Daryl smiled at that. Having pepperoni pizza on Friday was very important to Carol, and he was more than happy to keep that tradition going every Friday for the rest of his life with her.

“Good,” he said. “I’d hate t’ miss Pepperoni Pizza Friday.”

“That would be a tragedy,” Carol agreed. “And by the way, my mom says that she totally loves you. And she’s looking forward to our wedding and grandbabies already.”

“Say what now?” Daryl asked loudly and Carol giggled.

“I told you you’ve got nothing to worry about,” she said. “She’s already telling me that I have to marry you someday.”

Daryl glanced over at her. “And what’d ya tell her?”

She turned to smile at him as they reached her history classroom. “I told her that I’d like to marry you one day.”

He stared at her for a moment, trying to let her words sink in. “Really?” he asked incredulously. “Me?”

“Yes, you,” she replied, wrapping her arms around him and pulling him in for a hug. “I love you, Daryl.”

“I love ya too, Carol.”

They stood there with their arms wrapped around each other for a few moments longer, until Carol broke the silence.

“Okay,” she said, pulling back and giving him a gentle kiss. “Have a good class. I’ll see you later.”

“See ya later,” he replied, kissing her just one more time before heading off in the direction of his own class feeling as light as air.

*****

By the time Friday rolled around, Daryl thought he actually might pass out he was so nervous. He knew Carol’s parents would be more than happy simply because he showed up, but he knew he was bound to make a fool out of himself the instant that he opened his mouth. Ultimately, in his eyes this dinner was just bound to end in disaster.

As Daryl pulled into Carol’s driveway after school that day, he could barely keep his hands steady on the handle bars of his bike. He climbed off slowly after Carol, turning around to face her.

“Why are you so nervous?” she asked, pulling him in for a tight hug. “It’s just dinner. And they’ve already met you, so they know what to expect.”

Daryl pressed a kiss to her forehead, trying desperately to calm his nerves.

“Guess I just don’t wanna fuck this up,” he said quietly.

“You won’t. Okay? You won’t.” She pulled him in for a deep kiss, her fingers winding themselves through his hair as she held him tight.

“Alright,” he said once she pulled away. “Let’s do this.”

They walked up to the house hand in hand, and Daryl took comfort from the feeling of her thumb rubbing soothing circles against the back of his hand. He sure as hell wouldn’t have been able to do something like this without her by his side.

As soon as they entered the kitchen they were greeted by Carol’s mother who was smiling widely at them. She hugged Carol first before turning to hug Daryl as well.

“Daryl, it’s so lovely to see you again,” her mother said. “We’re so happy that you could join us today.”

Daryl offered her a nervous smile. “Thanks for invitin’ me,” he said.

“Of course, my dear. You’re welcome to come over at any time, alright? I haven’t seen my Carol smile like that in a very long time, and she always seems to smile a little more whenever she’s talking about you.” Daryl felt himself blush at that, and he glanced over at Carol to see that she was blushing, too. _‘Least it ain’t just me_ , he thought to himself.

“Carol darling, your father and I have a conference call to make tonight at 5:00. It won’t take long, so as soon as we’re done, we’ll order the pizza. Alright?”

Carol nodded to her mother. “Okay,” she said. “You two kids have fun until then. There’s some snacks if you get hungry, and if you need anything just let us know. I figure you’ll both want to spend a little bit of time together before dinner.” She gave Daryl a friendly squeeze on the arm and placed a gentle kiss on Carol’s cheek before heading upstairs.

“So, what do you want to do?” Carol asked. He shrugged.

“Same thing we always do, right? C’mon.” He took her hand in his, leading her into the living room to sit on the couch. He sat down first, pulling her gently down to sit on his lap rather than beside him.

“This is different,” she said, turning slightly and snuggling up against his chest. “So sitting next to each other isn’t close enough for you anymore?”

“Can never get close enough to ya,” he said softly, tracing the line of her jaw with his finger. She leaned in for a kiss, and he wrapped his arm a little tighter around her waist.

 “Did you want to watch a movie or something?” she asked against his lips.

“God no, no more fuckin’ chick flicks,” he replied quickly, pulling back enough to shake his head. “You know I love ya, but them movies are just fuckin’ awful. I can’t do it.”

Carol couldn’t even manage a pout through all her giggling. “Alright, alright,” she told him. “No more chick flicks. Honestly, I’m happy just sitting here with you.”

“Good. Me too,” he said, kissing her once more.

He held her for a while longer, and Carol snuggled a little closer to him. "Do you think Ed's going to say anything to me whenever he comes back to school?" she finally asked in a small voice. 

"He won't if he knows what's good for him," Daryl grumbled. "What even made ya think like that?" 

Carol gave him a small shrug. "I don't know," she began. "I just keep thinking: this is Ed. And Ed wouldn't just go away without putting up a fight. And now that everyone at school has turned against him, I feel like he's even more likely to hate everyone and make some sort of asshole move out of anger, you know?" 

"What I know is you need to stop thinkin' like that, unless ya wanna go crazy," Daryl replied. "If he does anythin', I'll bust his face. So ya don't need to worry 'bout him at all. Alright?"

"No, you don't get it, Daryl," she said. Daryl couldn't believe how distressed she looked. She’d been so happy just a few moments before. "He's already caused enough problems as it is. But thinking about the sort of trouble that you could get into if you did hurt him, or thinking about how he could hurt you... I don't want to see anything happen to you because of him." 

"Sweetheart, ya don't gotta worry 'bout anythin', alright? I'll be fine, you'll be fine, 'n Ed Peletier can go fuck himself. Alright?" He pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, holding her to his chest. No way would he ever let Ed Peletier ever get close enough to touch her ever again. She was right about one thing: he'd already done more than enough damage. 

Carol buried her face in the front of his shirt, sighing heavily. "But I'm not fine," she told him. "I mean, not really. I'm happy and I've moved on in some ways, but in other ways I haven't." 

"What do ya mean?" he asked gently, running his fingers through her curls. "Carol, talk to me." 

"Imagine if I'd met you before Ed," she whispered. "Imagine the kind of relationship we could've had. We'd be silly and fun and I'd be so sure that everything would work out for us, and I'd have no problem sleeping with you, and..." 

"Wait now, stop right there," Daryl said sharply. He pulled her away from him just enough so that he could see her face, and his heart broke when he saw the tears rolling down her cheeks. 

"I told ya, I don't need to sleep with ya," he told her gently. "What we got right now is more than enough for me. Just knowin' that you love me is all I need. 'N I wouldn't say that if I didn't mean it." 

Carol brought her tear-filled eyes up to meet his. "But maybe I really want to, but every time I start to think about it I always end up thinking about what he did to me and..."

"So stop thinkin' 'bout it," he told her. "Alright, listen. You 'n me are gonna be together for a long time. Forever, if ya want. 'N one day you'll be ready. That day clearly ain't today, but one day. 'N I told ya, I'll wait as long as I have to. Okay?" He swiped away her tears gently, pressing a kiss to her lips. "I love ya. 'N we're gonna make this work." 

Carol nodded silently, blinking away her tears. "Okay," she sniffled. "Okay. I love you, Daryl." 

He held her tightly against his chest, rubbing her back soothingly. "I love ya too." 

For a while they sat together in silence, simply enjoying the feeling of being so close to each other. As Daryl rubbed soothing circles across Carol's back, he desperately hoped that whatever comfort he could offer her would be enough. 

Around 6:00 Carol's father brought home the pizzas, and Carol and Daryl joined her parents in the dining room for dinner. 

"So, Daryl," her mom began the conversation. "Carol told us how you moved into town recently. How have you adjusted here?" 

"Uh, I really like it here," Daryl said slowly. "My foster family here is a lot better than the last ones I lived with. 'N I mean, I got Carol now, 'n I got other friends too, so I've been real happy since I moved here." 

“Well, Carol’s certainly been much happier since you moved here,” her mom said. She glanced over at him. “I think you two have been really good for each other.”

Daryl smiled over at Carol as he replied. “Definitely.”

“Have you given any thought about what you’ll do once you turn 18?” Mr. Grimes asked. “I imagine you won’t be the responsibility of child services or your foster family then, and that’s probably coming up pretty soon, right?”

Daryl looked down at his plate. The thought had crossed his mind, but the truth was he had absolutely no idea what he wanted to do with his life.

“Not really sure yet,” he said quietly. “I was thinkin’ I’d look for a job, but I don’t even know where to start lookin’.”

“Well, I’m sure you’ll find something that will suit you,” her father replied. “What sort of things are you interested in?”

Daryl thought for a moment, remembering how Carol had asked him similar questions the first time that they’d met. He desperately tried to remember how he’d responded back then.

“I mean, I like huntin’,” he said slowly. “But there ain’t really anythin’ I could do with that. I like fixin’ things, I guess.”

“What about cars?” her father asked. “Do you know anything about cars?”

“Cars are cool,” Daryl said, nodding slowly. “Don’t really know a whole lot about ‘em, but I know a bit.”

Carol’s father thought for a moment. “You know, I have this old colleague of mine – name’s Jim – he owns a garage here in town. I know he was looking for some help around the shop, and he does owe me a couple of favors. If you’d like, I could put in a good word for you, see if he’ll give you a job.”

Daryl’s eyes snapped up to look at him. “You’re serious?” he asked.

“Of course I’m serious,” her father responded with a warm smile. “I mean, my only daughter won’t stop talking about how wonderful you are and you clearly mean a lot to her, and I think this would be good for you. But only if you’re interested, of course. There’s no pressure. You think about it and let me know what you decide.”

Daryl couldn’t help the smile that spread across his face at that. What was it with everyone in this town and letting him make his own decisions? First Mrs. Grimes, and now Carol’s father? It certainly was a welcome change from the way child services had forced him to accept all of their stupid decisions about his life.

“Thanks,” he said.

“It’s no trouble,” her father replied. “If you decide to go for it, I’ll talk to Jim right away and see if he can get you in there. I think you’ll really like it.”

The rest of the meal went by smoothly. Carol’s mother asked about school and what Daryl’s favorite classes were.

“I don’t know,” he mumbled, wracking his brain and trying to come up with a smart answer. “I guess I like my science class,” he finally said.

“Science is a great subject,” her mother replied. “What is it about science class that you like?”

Daryl blushed as he thought about the real reason why he’d picked it. _Because Carol’s in that class_. He decided to revise his actual answer a bit.

“I like the labs we do,” he said softly. When her parents stared expectantly at him, waiting for him to continue he reluctantly added, “And I’ve got a great lab partner.”

Carol giggled softly beside him, and he glanced quickly over at her. He couldn’t help but notice just how beautiful she really was.

“You’re such a sweet boy, Daryl,” Carol’s mom told him warmly. “You really are. I’m so glad Carol met you.”

For dessert Carol’s mom had baked a chocolate cake, and Daryl made sure to tell her how delicious it was, and he thanked her once again for inviting him over.

“Oh Daryl, it was our pleasure,” her mom replied, giving him another hug once dessert was finished. “And you are more than welcome to join us again whenever you’d like. Just come home with Carol after school, we’d love to see you again soon.”

Daryl smiled and thanked her again, making sure to shake hands firmly with her father as he said goodnight. Carol walked with him to the front door so that she could finally have a few moments alone with him after spending such a long dinner with her parents watching the both of them.

“So, I think tonight was a success,” she said with a smile.

“Definitely a success,” he replied, wrapping his arms around her. “I’m glad I didn’t fuck up ‘n say anythin’ dumb.”

“I knew you wouldn’t,” she told him. “I had complete faith in you.”

“Glad somebody did,” Daryl replied. He leaned in to kiss her softly, cupping her face in his hand. She wrapped her arms a little tighter around his neck as she kissed him back, melting into him and deepening the kiss. When her tongue darted out to taste his lips he opened up to her instantly, letting her take control as her tongue glided against his. Her hands were resting against his chest, and he knew she must be able to feel his heartbeat hammering away inside his chest. As one of his hands tangled in her curls, he gently ran the other hand up and down her back. Her hands moved slowly up his chest, moving to the back of his neck and into his shaggy hair. All he could taste was Carol, all he could feel or see or hear was Carol, and he figured this had to be what heaven was like. All Carol all the time.

Gradually her kisses slowed down, and with one final chaste kiss she stopped and rested her forehead against his. They were both breathing heavily, and neither of them spoke a word for a few moments as they struggled to catch their breath.

“You’re amazin’,” Daryl finally said once he trusted himself to speak again. “Completely amazin’.”

“You’re pretty damn amazing yourself,” Carol replied, leaning in to give him another kiss. “I love you, Daryl.”

“I love ya, too,” he told her, kissing her again. “We doin’ anythin’ tomorrow?”

“I sure hope so,” she replied. “Did you have anything in mind?”

“No,” he said. “You pick. I don’t care what we do, I just wanna see ya.”

Carol thought for a moment. “Oooh, I know what we can do!” she finally exclaimed, her entire face lighting up. “You can teach me how to ride your motorcycle like you said you would!”

“Whoa, now, I never said that I _would_ , only said that I _might_ ,” Daryl corrected her.

“Oh, come on Daryl! Please?” She made that little pouty face she always made, the one that always left him melting like putty in her hands, and he felt himself cave instantly. He’d do anything she asked him to with a face like that.

“Alright, fine,” he told her. “I know a good place, I can take ya ‘n we’ll see how ya do.”

“Yay! Thank you Daryl!” she said excitedly, flinging her arms around his neck. “You’re the best!”

He smiled awkwardly to himself. “I try to be the best I can for ya, Carol, I really do.”

“Well, you are,” she said, kissing his cheek. “You’re the best.”

He smiled at her, leaning in for another kiss. “Alright, I gotta get goin’. I’ll see ya tomorrow, alright?”

“Okay,” she said. “See you tomorrow. I love you.”

“I love ya, too. Goodnight, Carol.”

As he made his way outside to his motorcycle, the one he would teach Carol to ride tomorrow, he thought idly to himself about how he’d managed to get so lucky. Not only did he have the most amazing girlfriend ever, but he had a real family that loved him, and he might even be getting his first real job. As he drove the short distance home, he thought his life had never been better.


	20. Chapter 20

When Carol woke up the following morning she couldn’t help groaning to herself. It was far too early for her to be awake, and Daryl wouldn’t be coming over for a few hours. No, she shouldn’t be awake just yet. Three hours was far too much time to kill until she got to see Daryl again.

She fought to fall back asleep for a little while and huffed out a sigh of annoyance when she failed. Instead she hauled herself out of bed, going downstairs to make herself some breakfast. Once she was finished with that, she curled up on the couch with a book hoping that it would help the time go by faster.

She became so immersed in her book that she didn’t even notice when her mother entered the room, and she jumped when she felt the couch shift as her mother sat down beside her.

“Good morning,” her mom said, smiling at her over the mug of coffee she held between her hands.

“Morning,” Carol said, setting the book down on the table beside her.

“Killing time until Daryl gets here?”

Carol nodded silently, running her fingers self-consciously through her curls.

“He seemed a little nervous at dinner last night,” her mother mused, crossing her legs on the couch. “But I get the feeling that’s just the way he is.”

“He’s really shy,” Carol agreed. “And very self-conscious.”

“But not when he’s with you.” Carol stared silently at her mother, not really sure how to respond to that.

“I heard you two talking last night,” her mother admitted. “You were planning what you guys would do today. And he didn’t sound awkward or nervous at all. When he’s with you he just talks and he can be himself. From what I’ve seen of that boy, he doesn’t seem to be able to do that with anybody else.”

Carol smiled at that. Of course she knew that Daryl was a completely different person whenever they were alone together, but it had never occurred to her that it might actually be noticeable to other people as well.

“You two seem like a perfect match,” her mom said. “You just work so well together.”

“Yeah, I guess we do,” Carol said quietly, smiling at her mother. “Thanks, Mom.”

Her mother leaned over, giving Carol a tight hug. “You should go get ready,” she said. “Daryl will be here before you know it.”

Carol scampered upstairs to get dressed, taking the time to style her hair a bit and she even put on a subtle hint of make-up. Now that Ed wasn’t around to tell her what she could or couldn’t do, she was enjoying using her make-up as frequently as she could.

She was totally ready and anxious to go when she heard the roar of Daryl’s motorcycle coming down her street. She kissed her mother goodbye, rushing outside to meet him.

“Hey,” he said when he saw her, climbing off his bike to wrap his arms tightly around her. “Ya look beautiful.”

Carol giggled. “Daryl, I’m wearing jeans and a t-shirt,” she said.

“And ya look beautiful,” he said, looking straight into her blue eyes. “Carol, ya look beautiful no matter what you’re wearin’.” She felt herself blush at that, leaning in to give him a soft kiss.

“I love you,” she whispered.

“I love ya, too,” he said. “C’mon, ya still wanna learn how to ride a motorcycle?”

“Hell yeah,” she said enthusiastically. She climbed onto the bike behind him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist as he drove them to an empty parking lot behind an old store that had gone out of business a few years back.

“Alright,” he said as he killed the engine and they both climbed off the bike. “You ready?”

She nodded eagerly. This was going to be fun.

“Okay, hop on.” She climbed onto the bike, her hands resting gently on the handlebars he usually held. He stood in front of the bike and faced her, and his hands came to rest gently on top of hers. “Alright. This here’s the throttle, ‘n then this is the brake.” He moved her hands with his, letting her touch and familiarize herself with the various parts of the bike. “This one’s the clutch. ‘N then down here ya got the shifter.”

She watched in awe as he acquainted her with all the different parts of his bike, his hands delicately ghosting over hers as he showed her how to gently ease off the clutch and how to shift gears with her foot.

“This is a lot harder than you make it look,” Carol grumbled when she confused the throttle and the clutch yet again.

“Well, I’ve had lots ‘a practice. ‘N ya know we can always stop if ya wanna,” he said gently. “There’s plenty ‘a other stuff we could do today.”

“No, I want to do this,” Carol insisted. “I’m determined to ride a motorcycle.”

“It might take some time,” he warned. “I didn’t just learn in a day. It takes practice.”

“That’s okay,” she told him. “But I definitely don’t want to stop now.”

“Alright,” he said, placing his hands gently back on top of hers. “Which one’s this?” he asked, giving her right hand a gentle squeeze.

“That’s the throttle,” she answered promptly.

“Good,” he answered. “And this?” He moved her two fingers to the lever on the right handlebar.

“That’s the brake,” she said. “That one I’ve got.”

“Okay,” he said. “So what’s this one on the left?”

“That’s the clutch.”

“Good,” he said, leaning forward over the handlebars to give her a gentle kiss. “Think you’re ready for me to fire up the engine?”

“Hell yeah,” she replied eagerly.

“Just remember what I told ya. Take it slow, don’t get too excited. Don’t want ya gettin’ hurt. Or breakin’ my bike,” he added, almost as an afterthought.

He started the engine and after one more brief run through of the various parts of the bike, Carol was ready to give it a try for real. She tried to remember everything Daryl had told her, easing gently off the clutch until she finally felt the bike move. She lurched forward a couple of inches at first, trying to get a feel for how to start smoothly.

“You’re doin’ fine,” Daryl told her soothingly, standing right beside her and repeating his instructions calmly for her. After a few more attempts and a few more lurches of the motorcycle, Carol decided that she was done for the day.

“You’re going to let me practice with it again soon though, right?” she asked as she climbed off the bike.

“If ya want to, sure,” he said. “Ya did pretty good for your first try. Let me know when ya wanna give it another go.”

“Okay,” she agreed. “You know, you’re a pretty good teacher, Mr. Dixon.” She wrapped her arms around his waist, giving him a small grin.

“Pfft,” he snorted. “If ya say so.”

She giggled softly, leaning into him for a tender kiss. “Thank you for teaching me,” she said. “I know you didn’t really want to.”

“It ain’t that I didn’t want to,” Daryl said, his hands resting gently on her hips. “I just didn’t wanna see ya hurt yourself.”

“Or break your bike,” she added playfully.

“Yeah,” he agreed. “That too.”

“You really care more about me than you do about your bike?” she asked softly, nuzzling his nose with her own.

“Carol, I care more about you than I do about anythin’ else in the whole damn world,” Daryl replied. As he leaned in to kiss her, Carol knew without a doubt that she believed him. 


	21. Chapter 21

“It’s all everyone’s been talking about all morning,” Michonne gushed.

“Michonne the school day hasn’t even started yet, and I’ve only been inside the building for all of two minutes,” Carol replied exasperatedly.

“Yeah, well, in the ten minutes that I’ve been here, all I’ve heard anyone talk about is how Georgia’s most hated ex-football player is back in school today,” Michonne said.

“People are really that pissed off at him?” Daryl asked gruffly.

“Yeah, they really are,” Michonne said happily. “Apparently not even Abraham Ford will talk to him anymore.”

“Wow,” Carol said in surprise. “That’s kind of awesome.”

“Kind of?” Michonne asked excitedly. “Girl, it’s freaking amazing! Serves his ass right for treating you the way he did.”

Daryl nodded vigorously. “This ain’t even half the shit his ugly ass deserves,” he grumbled.

Carol smiled widely. “You two are the best, you know that?” she asked, glancing back and forth between the two of them.

“Honey, we know,” Michonne replied. “Anyway. You two lovebirds have a lovely day, and I’ll see you both at lunch. I have to go find my boyfriend.” With a wave she headed off in the direction of Rick’s locker, leaving Carol and Daryl alone to walk to science class together.

“I still think ya should let me beat his ugly ass,” Daryl grumbled, his thumb rubbing small circled across the back of her hand.

“Absolutely not,” Carol replied. “If you did that then you would be the one to get in trouble, and that’s the last thing I want. Ed will get what’s coming to him eventually. You just have to be patient and let karma run its course, that’s all.”

Daryl scoffed. “You’re definitely way more patient than me,” he grumbled.

“Just trust me on this. Okay?” Carol asked.

“I’ll always trust ya,” he replied quietly. She smiled at that, leaning in to give him a kiss before leading him into their science class.

“Alright, class,” their teacher began once the bell rang. “Today I want you all to pair up with your lab partners and sit in the back of the room at the lab benches. You’ll be filling out the study guide in preparation for next week’s exam.” As their classmates grumbled about their classwork, Carol and Daryl moved to an empty spot at the back of the room to sit beside each other and do their work.

About halfway through the class, Carol stood up from her seat.

"Where ya goin'?" Daryl asked, reaching anxiously for her hand. 

Carol giggled. "I have to pee, Daryl." 

"Oh. Right. Okay. Hurry up though, I'll miss ya," he mumbled, letting go of her hand. 

She smiled at him. He was so cute in little moments like this. "I'll be back in a few minutes," she promised. 

She moved quickly, heading down the hall and rounding the corner to the ladies' room. She took care of her business and was just exiting the bathroom when she froze. Walking past the door of the bathroom was Ed Peletier. 

"Well now, would you look who we have here," he said with a sinister smirk. 

Carol swallowed uneasily. She glanced up and down the hallway but found that it was totally deserted and the next classroom was around the corner. She was completely alone with Ed. 

He took a step closer to her and she took a step back, but found that he now had her pinned against the wall. She was completely trapped. 

"You know, it's been a while, Carol. Have you been missing me too? I bet you have," he growled, one hand holding her arm while the other came up to stroke her face. 

"Please let me go, Ed," Carol said, hating the way that her voice shook. 

"Now, why would I ever want to do a thing like that?" he asked. "Why would I ever let you go when I finally have you all alone with me, just like I want you to be? Did you know that the door to the girls' bathroom locks? I found that out with another girl a few weeks ago. What do ya say we see how loudly I can make you scream in there?" 

"Go to hell," she spat in his face. 

"Oooh, look at you fighting back. I might actually be a bit impressed," he sneered, his hand moving from her cheek and down her neck, to her shoulder and trailing slowly down her arm. 

"I asked you to let me go," she said, forcefully yanking her arm from his grasp. 

"Aww, but sweetheart --"

"Don't call me that." 

"Carol. Darling. Whether you like it or not, I'm going to take you inside that bathroom right now. And I'm going to make you scream so loud your little redneck boyfriend will be able to hear you from whatever class he's sitting in." He gripped her arm tightly again, dragging her back in the direction of the bathroom. Carol knew she had to think fast. When she wouldn't budge he turned back to face her, reaching out with his other grubby hand to grab her. Carol brought her knee up hard, hitting him straight in the groin. 

"Son of a bitch!" Ed yelled, releasing her and doubling over in pain. Without even taking a moment to think, Carol turned and raced for the closest safe place she could think of. Rounding the next corner, she headed straight for Principal Horvath's office. 

"Why, hello Carol," Principal Horvath said in surprise when she burst unceremoniously into his office. "What are you doing here? Are you alright?" 

Carol was breathing heavily, and she took a moment to try to catch her breath before she replied. "Ed. Ed Peletier. He... he just tried to... oh my God." She brought her hands up to cover her face as she leaned back against the wall, letting out a heavy sob. 

"Hold on now, Carol, it's alright," Principal Horvath said, bringing a chair over and coaxing her gently to sit down. "Just tell me what happened." 

"My... my ex-boyfriend, Ed Peletier," she choked out. "He... he saw me coming out of the bathroom just now and he tried to... he wanted me to go back in the bathroom with him and... and..." She trailed off helplessly. 

"I see. And am I correct in assuming that you didn't want to go with him?" the principal asked gently. Carol nodded her head furiously. "Alright. Just one more question for you, then: how did you get away from him?"

"I, um... kneed him in the balls," Carol mumbled, feeling her cheeks flush red. 

"Did you now? Good for you," the principal said with a warm smile. "Uh, best not tell anyone I said that," he added hastily. Carol couldn't help the small grin that spread over her face at his reaction. "Anyway," he went on. "This happened outside the girls' bathroom just down the hall?" He pointed in the direction of the ladies' room, and Carol nodded silently. "Alright. Here's what I'm going to do. I'm going to walk you back to your class. Then I'm going to review the security footage from the camera placed right outside that bathroom to confirm your story. Then I'm going to call Ed Peletier into my office and he will be expelled." 

Carol stared at him in stunned silence. "Expelled?" she choked out. 

"Yes, my dear. Expelled. You see, Mr. Peletier already has a number of other counts of bullying, harassment, and misconduct on his permanent record. And adding in sexual assault to all of that? I’d say that more than qualifies as grounds for expulsion. He probably should have been expelled years ago, to be honest." 

Carol could hardly believe her own ears. Ed was going to be expelled? He would never bother her at school again? This was the best news she'd heard all day. 

As Principal Horvath walked her back to her science class, Carol could hardly keep herself from skipping along beside him. Ed Peletier was going to be expelled from school, and she would never have to deal with him ever again. 

"Thank you, Principal Horvath," Carol said when they reached the classroom. 

"Don't thank me Carol, I'm just doing my job. Thank you for coming to me immediately. If you hadn't done that, Ed Peletier could have remained in this school and done the same thing to any other girl in the future." 

Carol went back inside her classroom, taking her seat in the back beside Daryl with a smile. 

"Where the hell did ya go, ya had me worried!" he exclaimed, unabashedly throwing his arms around her and burying his face in her neck. Carol giggled softly as she hugged him back tightly, not caring about the awkward side glances they received from the other students in class. "Ya were gone for so long, I was freakin' out over here."

"I'm fine, Daryl. I ran into Ed as I was leaving the bathroom." 

He pulled back then, looking at her anxiously. "Ya did? Did he hurt ya? Are ya okay?" 

"I'm fine, Daryl," she assured him with a smile. "Just fine. He tried to get me into the bathroom alone with him, but I got away and went to see Principal Horvath. He's going to be expelled, Daryl. Ed's going to get expelled. He's never going to bother me again." 

Daryl looked at her as if she'd just told him Christmas was coming early that year. "He's really gettin' expelled?" he asked happily. 

"He really is," Carol said with a smile. "And he is never going to bother us again." 

Daryl stared at her for a few moments, trying to process what was happening. Ed was getting expelled. He wasn't going to be able to bother them ever again. He and Carol had each other. Things were seriously looking up in ways that Daryl's life never had before. 

He pulled her to him and he kissed her passionately, not even caring about the classroom full of students staring at them. The only thing that mattered to him, the only thing in the entire world, was Carol. And now they finally had a chance to be truly happy together.


	22. Chapter 22

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this chapter's been in the works for a while... Hopefully I'll look at it tomorrow and still be at least somewhat satisfied with how it turned out :)

After school that day, Daryl dropped Carol off at her house. He lingered with her for a little while, reluctant to leave her so soon.

“I still can’t believe he’s really gone,” Carol said breathlessly. “I never thought I’d ever be free of him.”

“Well now ya are,” Daryl said with a smile. “’N now we can live our lives without havin’ to worry ‘bout him botherin’ us ever again.” Carol smiled widely at him, leaning in and pressing a kiss to his lips.

“I wish you could stay,” she sighed, resting her forehead gently against his.

“Me too,” he said, his hand running slowly up and down her back. “But Mrs. Grimes said she wants to have a real family dinner tonight, ‘n she said I have to be there.”

Carol smiled up at him. “I wouldn’t want you to miss out on dinner with your family,” she said sweetly. “Family dinners are very important.”

Her words hit Daryl like a ton of bricks. His family. The concept of family was almost entirely foreign to Daryl, and some days he still couldn’t believe that he had people like Mr. and Mrs. Grimes to look out for him. It was a good feeling.

“I’ll talk to ya later,” he said softly. His hand came to rest on her hip as he pulled her closer, kissing her deeply. She sighed and leaned into him, her arms wrapping gracefully around his neck. “I love ya, Carol.”

“I love you too, Daryl. Have a nice dinner tonight.” With one last kiss she turned and headed back inside her house, leaving Daryl to climb back on his motorcycle and head home.

He entered the house silently, dropping his backpack from school and his shoes at the door. He moved into the kitchen, thinking he could really use a glass of milk and some of Mrs. Grimes’ cookies right about now. When he entered the kitchen he found Mrs. Grimes sitting at the table, a pen stuck between her teeth and her head bent over some papers. She jumped when she heard his footsteps on the floor behind her, and she hastily flung all the papers into a folder. Daryl felt his heart clench in his chest when he recognized the logo on the folder’s cover.

“Hey, Mrs. Grimes,” he said, trying to keep his voice sounding casual.

“Hello Daryl,” she said a little too cheerfully, moving quickly to stow away the folder in a drawer. “How was your day?”

“It was uh… fine. Just wanted to let ya know I’m home. I’ll be upstairs doin’… uh, homework.” His heart was beating rapidly in his chest as he fought the urge to run out the door.

“Okay. Dinner will be ready around 6:00. I’ll let you know when it’s ready,” Mrs. Grimes said, turning to give him a kiss on top of his head. “I’ll see you then, alright?”

Daryl nodded silently, not trusting himself enough to speak. He turned on his shaking legs, heading upstairs to lock himself in his room. He plopped down on top of his bed, staring at the ceiling as he fought the sudden urge to cry. He could feel the tears pricking at his eyes, and he angrily blinked them back. He should have known this was coming. Of course he should have. He was a Dixon and nothing good ever lasted for him or anyone in his family. It just wasn’t in their DNA. They repelled everything good in their lives.

With an angry grunt Daryl turned and punched his pillow. He’d know that logo anywhere. He’d spent the past two years surrounded by it. And of course he knew what all that paperwork meant. It had been the exact same thing with the last five families that had fostered him.

His time with the Grimes family was coming to an end. He knew it the instant he saw the Child Services logo on Mrs. Grimes’ folder. That was why she wanted him home for dinner tonight. She was going to sit him down, feed him dinner, and then drop her announcement on him. They were sending him away. And he knew, just like the last five times, there was absolutely nothing he could do about it.

He’d thought this time would be different. He’d thought that maybe he’d finally found the family for him. The Grimes family actually treated him like a son. Mr. Grimes bought him a motorcycle and Mrs. Grimes was exactly the kind of mother he’d always wanted. Hell, she loved him like he was her own son, and he loved her as if she was the only mother he’d ever known. And now she was sitting in that kitchen right now, signing his life away to God knows what. The realization made him shake, he was so angry.

He huffed out an angry sigh, his eyes glued to the ceiling. He wondered where everything went wrong. Maybe he’d let himself get too comfortable, maybe he’d misread the signs. Maybe Mr. and Mrs. Grimes weren’t looking for that kind of commitment. Maybe Rick wasn’t looking for a brother. Maybe Daryl Dixon was just doomed to a life of never finding the right family. Maybe he’d never find anyone who could ever truly love him.

He’d thought that he had. He’d thought that the Grimes family loved him. He’d trusted them whenever they told him they did. Hell, he trusted them just as much as he trusted Carol when she said she loved him.

_Carol._

What the hell was he going to tell Carol? He’d never actually had anyone in his life that would miss him whenever he moved from one foster family to another. He’d never actually had to say goodbye to anyone he cared about before. How the hell could he possibly tell Carol that he had to leave her?

Just thinking about it brought those pesky tears back to his eyes, except he didn’t have the strength to fight it this time. The tears flowed freely, running down his cheeks as he turned to bury his face angrily in his pillow. _Carol_. He couldn’t leave her. Not now, not ever. He needed her in his life. She was the first person he’d let into his life like this, the first and last person he’d ever fallen in love with. Just thinking about a life without her brought on a fresh wave of tears, and he desperately tried to keep his sobs quiet as his tears soaked into his pillow. Everything else he could deal with, but spending the rest of his life without Carol? That was the only thing he knew he couldn’t do.

He wasn’t sure how long he’d sat there, but it must have been a while because his tears had all dried up. He’d never cried like that before, just letting it all out until he had no tears left to cry. It amazed him and terrified him all at once how Carol could bring out such an emotional reaction from him.

A sharp knock on his door made him jump.

“Hey, Daryl? Mom says dinner’s ready.” _Rick_. The brother Daryl had always wanted, and the brother Merle had never been. Now that he knew what it was like to have a brother like that, how could he ever leave?

“I’m comin’,” he said gruffly, desperately hoping that Rick wouldn’t be able to tell that he’d been crying. He paused in front of the mirror, glad to see that at least his nose wasn’t red from crying. He cleared his throat once, putting on a brave face and exiting his room as he headed down to what would probably be his last family dinner with the Grimes family. If they really wanted to, they could pack him up and ship him out by the end of the week. He knew because he’d done it before.

He took his seat between Rick and Mrs. Grimes silently. Mrs. Grimes smiled widely at him, reaching over to give his hand a gentle squeeze. It was everything Daryl could do not to burst into tears all over again at the sight of her motherly smile. How could she do this to him? How could they have strung him along like this, telling him they loved him, baking him cookies and buying him a motorcycle, making him feel like part of the family just to turn right around and send him away, never to be seen or heard from again? How could they do that to him?

He picked angrily at his dinner, forcefully shoving bits of chicken into his mouth. He sat in silence and sulked, keeping his eyes fixed on his plate as Mr. and Mrs. Grimes talked about the weather and politics and how their day went. Rick chimed in a few times but Daryl kept to himself, purposefully not looking at any of them. How could they have such a normal family dinner when they planned on sending him away? How could they be so damn _cheerful_?

When their meal was done Mr. and Mrs. Grimes cleared away their empty dishes, and Mrs. Grimes brought out a large plate of freshly baked cookies. God, Daryl was going to miss those cookies.

“Daryl? You’ve been awfully quiet tonight. Is something bothering you?” Mrs. Grimes sat down beside him, and Daryl had to force himself to meet her eyes. He thought about lying to her. He considered shrugging silently or telling her straight up that everything was fine. But he made the mistake of looking right into her eyes and he knew that he couldn’t lie to her. As hurt and betrayed as he felt, he just couldn’t lie to Mrs. Grimes.

“I saw the folder earlier,” he mumbled quietly. “Saw the Child Services logo.”

“Oh,” Mrs. Grimes said softly. Then she seemed to understand. “ _Oh_. Daryl. Sweetie, it’s not what you’re thinking…”

“You’re sendin’ me away?” he asked softly.

“No,” Mrs. Grimes gently, bringing her hand to rest on his arm. He jerked away from her touch and she settled instead on clasping her hands together in her lap. “No, Daryl we’re not sending you away. It’s something else entirely. Here.” She stood up then, going over to the same drawer where she’s hidden the folder earlier. She pulled it out, setting it down on the table in front of Daryl.

He stared down at the Child Services logo, a mixture of anger and hurt filling his chest.

“Open it,” Mrs. Grimes said softly, taking a seat beside him again.

He glanced over at her, sensing the apprehension there. He opened it slowly, expecting to see the same forms they always showed him. The ones that meant it was official, and he was leaving that family forever. But instead he found different papers. Papers he’d never seen before. He held his breath as his eyes scanned the first page and he felt his heart stop for a moment as he settled on one word he’d definitely never read before. _Adoption._

“What?” he breathed, hardly daring to believe this could actually be happening.

“We’ve been planning this with Child Services for a while,” Mrs. Grimes said softly. “Our lawyer says we can probably have the entire process complete about a month or so before your eighteenth birthday. I know it won’t mean much by then since legally you’ll be an adult, but we want you to know how much we love you Daryl, and… oh!”

Her words were cut off when Daryl stood up suddenly, flinging his arms around her in the tightest hug he could muster.

“You guys wanna adopt me?” he asked excitedly, pulling back enough to look at her. “ _Me?_ Ya wanna adopt me?”

“Of course we do, Daryl. You’re already like another son to us, and Rick says he loves you like a brother,” Mrs. Grimes said warmly. Daryl looked around the table and saw that Mr. Grimes and Rick were both nodding in agreement. “Whether you want to go through with the adoption or not, you’re a part of our family now, Daryl. But if you think you’re ready and this is something you want, then we would like to adopt you. Officially.”

Daryl looked around the table at them. The Grimes family. _His family_. He never would have thought coming into this town that he would ever be able to say those words. And now here he sat, after a family dinner with his family, with actual adoption papers in front of him. He couldn’t believe this was actually happening.

“Why wouldn’t I want this?” he asked, smiling the brightest smile he’d ever smiled before. “You guys are my family now, ‘n this right here?” He held up the folder for them to see. “This is the best thing that’s ever happened to me.”

Mrs. Grimes was crying now, and she came over to wrap her arms tightly around him. “I love you, Daryl,” she said shakily, kissing the top of his head. “I love you so much. We all do. And we’ve been so blessed to have you as part of our family.”

Daryl looked around the table at them each in turn. Rick, his brother, grinning supportively over at him. Mr. Grimes, the man who’d bought Daryl a motorcycle and treated him as if he were his own son. And Mrs. Grimes, with her arms around him as she cried into his shoulder. The woman he’d be more than glad to call his mother.

He was a part of their family now, and he was proud to be. Not just on paper, but in his heart as well. 


	23. Chapter 23

“Do you think I could try out the bike again this weekend?”

Carol was reclining in Daryl’s arms as he held her close. He’d taken her back to that park on the outskirts of town, the one where they’d gone on their very first official date. They’d brought a blanket and some dinner this time, and now Daryl just held onto her, relishing in the feel of her body perfectly lined up with his.

“If ya want to, sure,” he said. “Ya didn’t do too bad with it the last time.”

She turned in his arms to grin up at him. “Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be the one driving you around on my own motorcycle.”

Daryl chuckled softly. “Maybe. Ya could if ya wanted to.”

“Yeah? Would you let me drive you around on your bike once I’ve practiced enough?”

“If ya get good enough, sure,” Daryl replied. Carol grinned up at him again, leaning into him for a tender kiss. “Hey, I gotta tell ya somethin’.”

“Okay,” she said, sitting up straight and turning to face him. Her fingers wrapped themselves around his instead, not completely ready to break that physical contact with him yet. “What’s on your mind?”

“Well, it’s about that dinner I had with the Grimes’ last night,” Daryl said softly. She stared at him expectantly, silently waiting until he was ready to continue. “They, uh, they wanna adopt me.”

She took a moment to allow his words to process in her mind. “They want to adopt you? Officially?” Daryl nodded. “Daryl, that’s wonderful! I’m so happy for you!” She flung her arms around him, hugging him tight.

“Thanks,” he mumbled into her hair. “For a while there, I thought they might be sendin’ me away, off to some other foster family.”

“Why would they ever do that? You know they all love you,” she said.

“I know, but sometimes they ain’t got no choice. Child Services can be a bunch ‘a pricks sometimes,” he replied with a shrug. “But I kept thinkin’. If they ever did send me away, I don’t think I could do it.”

“Of course you could,” Carol said with a smile. “You can do anything.”

“Not if it meant leavin’ you.”

Carol smiled softly at him. “That’s what you were worried about? Leaving me?”

“It was the only thing I was worried ‘bout,” he admitted.

“Daryl,” she whispered, her fingers brushing gently over his cheek. She leaned into him, pressing her lips softly against his. “At least now you’ll never have to worry about that ever again.” As he kissed her again, he knew that he believed her. He knew he was going to do everything in his power to make sure that he never lost her, and as he looked into her eyes he knew that she was thinking the exact same thing.

She settled back into his arms again, sighing as she gazed out at the river flowing past the foot of the hill. “It’s really warm out today,” she observed.

“Says the girl wearin’ a sweater,” Daryl said teasingly. “Wouldn’t be so warm if ya took it off. It’s too hot for a damn sweater, anyway.”

“You and I both know I won’t take it off,” Carol said softly. He looked down at her and could clearly read all the insecurities she tried to keep hidden behind those big blue eyes of hers. It pained him to think that an idiot like Ed Peletier could have done that to her.

“Ya know ya don’t gotta hide anythin’ from me,” he said gently. “’N I’ve seen ‘em anyway.”

Carol shifted uneasily. “I know that,” she said. “It’s just… sometimes I wonder if I’m hiding them from everyone else or from myself.”

“I told ya, you got nothin’ to be ashamed of,” he told her gently. She offered him a small smile, but said nothing. He hated it when she got like this. He could almost feel her pulling away from him. And he couldn’t stand that feeling. “Carol, I’m gonna show ya somethin’ that I ain’t ever showed anyone before,” he said before he could talk himself out of it.

She turned back to look at him. “Okay,” she said quietly. “What is it?”

He shifted gently away from her, turning around so that his back was to her. He took a deep breath, his fingers moving to the hem of his t-shirt. He closed his eyes, pulling the shirt up and over his head, baring his torso. He heard her sharp intake of breath as she stared at his back, and he forced himself to glance back at her.

“Daryl,” she whispered, her fingers reaching out gently to trace over the rough crisscrossing red lines across his back. He flinched at her initial touch but relaxed almost immediately, letting her delicate fingers sooth away all the painful memories that his scars held. “What happened to you?”

“My dad,” he replied. “My real dad. Sumbitch had a belt he saved specially just for beatin’ me.”

“Oh my God,” she whispered. Her beautiful eyes were brimming with tears as she stared at the hardened ridges that traversed the skin of his back. He turned then so that he was facing her, reaching out to cup her face gently in his hand.

“Ya know why I showed ya?” Carol blinked a few times, trying to fight back her tears as she shook her head. “I showed ya ‘cause I want ya to know I understand. I know what it’s like to hide your scars, ‘n I know it’s scary to let other people in. I know exactly what you’re feelin’. ‘N I wanna help ya get through this, Carol. But you gotta let me.”

Carol smiled sadly at him, her hand coming to rest gently on his arm. The feel of her soft skin against his gave him goosebumps, but he still found himself wishing that she could touch him like that all the time. Tenderly, lovingly, with a softness that left him longing to be close to her. She leaned in slowly, her lips ghosting quickly over his in the softest of kisses.

“I love you, Daryl,” she whispered.

“I love ya, too, Carol. ‘N you know I’m always gonna be here for ya.”

“I know,” she said softly. “One day I won’t need these sweaters anymore. But I’m just not there yet, Daryl. Okay? One day I will be, but I still need some more time.”

“Alright,” he said softly. “Take as much time as you need. I’ll be right here the whole time.”

She offered him a small smile, leaning in to kiss him softly once more. “Thank you,” she whispered against his lips.

“For what?”

“For understanding. And for showing me,” she said timidly, her eyes glancing down to where she could just see the pink tips of the scars covering his back. “You said you’ve never shown anyone else before.” He shook his head silently. “Why did you decide to show me?” she asked.

“’Cause I knew you’d understand,” he replied. “’N because I trust ya.”

She brought her watery blue gaze back up to his. “I trust you too, Daryl.”

He felt his heart ache as he gazed into her beautiful blue eyes. All he wanted was to be able to help her, and as he pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead he hoped to God that whatever trust they had in each other would be enough to help the both of them. 


	24. Chapter 24

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> How on earth have we made it to 24 chapters?? Thank you so, so much to everyone that's been reading along with me here. I hope you know that I appreciate each and every one of you! :)

Carol stared at her reflection in the mirror, turning this way and that so that she could get the full effect. She'd thought long and hard on what she wanted to wear to school that day, but she was still a little hesitant about her choice. She thought her hair and make-up had come out perfectly, and she was definitely comfortable in her favorite sandals. It was the outfit itself that she wasn't sure about. She'd pulled on her favorite blue sundress, then proceeded to argue with herself as she stared at the matching blue sweater she'd left draped over a chair.  _You don't need it. You can barely even see the scars anymore, people probably won't even notice them. You're being ridiculous. It’s like Daryl said, you have nothing to be ashamed of. Don't let Ed hold you back anymore. You can do this._

She was still arguing with herself when the doorbell rang. She'd been so immersed in her own thoughts, she hadn't even heard the roar of Daryl's motorcycle when he came to pick her up. Giving herself a quick shake, she turned away from the mirror. She glanced back one more time at the chair.  _You can do this, Carol_. She turned away quickly, leaving the sweater sitting on the chair. She wouldn't be needing it today. 

She moved to the front door quickly, purposefully not looking back again so that she wouldn't change her mind. The air felt nice against her bare arms, and she was feeling very proud of herself. She pulled open the front door, smiling widely at Daryl as he opened his mouth to say something, but stopped short when he saw what she was wearing. 

"Hi," she said breathlessly. 

"Hi," he said slowly, a smile spreading across his face. "Ya look beautiful." 

"Thank you," she replied softly. She wondered idly if she was blushing, figuring that she must be. He glanced her over, smiling as he did, before he pulled her gently into his arms. He held her close, his fingers trailing softly along her bare arm for the first time as he soothed away all the hurt that Ed had left behind. 

"So beautiful," he whispered, his fingers exploring the arms she'd never bared to him before. "Ya ready to go?" he asked softly. 

"Ready," she agreed quietly. 

"Ya need to grab a sweater or somethin'?" Her eyes came up to meet his, finding only patience and understanding there. He definitely knew how hard this would be for her, and she appreciated him giving her the option of staying in her comfort zone. She shook her head determinedly. 

"Nope. I don't need it." 

He smiled widely at her, leaning in to give her a reassuring kiss. "Alright," he said. "Let's get goin', then." 

She closed the front door gently behind them as she followed Daryl out to his bike. She climbed on behind him, wrapping her arms lovingly around his waist. As they drove she finally got to experience the feel of the wind against her bare arms, and she closed her eyes as her hair whipped around her in the wind. She'd never felt so free before, so completely and utterly carefree and happy. Just a year ago she'd been quiet and reserved, living underneath Ed's thumb. She’d been beaten down, both physically and emotionally, and she’d never been in a darker place. But now she was with Daryl, she was free, and she had never been happier. 

When they were safely parked and dismounted in the high school parking lot, Carol took hold of Daryl’s hand, interlocking their fingers as they headed into the school. She felt strangely optimistic about everything. There was no more Ed, and as far as she was concerned she’d finally shed the last of his hold on her. She was free.

*****

Okay, maybe she wasn’t quite as free as she’d thought.

Daryl came over to her house after school that day, making himself comfortable on the couch beside her. They’d gotten to talking for a while, but once there was a brief lull in the conversation he’d leaned in close, claiming her lips with his own. The kisses were soft but fueled by passion, and it wasn’t long before his tongue darted out to trace the outline of her lip. She opened her mouth to him easily, her fingers tangling in his hair. His lips and tongue moved in time with hers, and he laid her back gently, moving with her as he made sure their lips never broke contact. He laid her down on the couch, leaning over her as he explored her mouth. This part of their relationship was easy. It was so unbelievably easy for her to get lost in a world that was all Daryl, to lose herself in the taste of his lips, the sound of his heavy breathing, the feel of him all around her. She could kiss him like this all day if he’d let her.

She was completely surrounded by him. All she could see, touch, taste, or sense was him. He was all around her and it was just so damn _good_. He was intoxicating, and she felt as if she could never get enough.

She wasn’t sure if he did it intentionally or by accident, but in the end it didn’t really matter to her anyway. The moment his fingers brushed softly against the skin of her thigh she froze, yanking herself from that beautiful world that was blissfully all Daryl. Suddenly she was back in a locked room at a football party, trapped beneath the mattress and Ed as his rough hands forced their way up her thighs as she whimpered helplessly beneath him.

She knew that Daryl could tell exactly what happened, and he knew exactly what was running through her mind. He pulled his hand away quickly, bringing it up instead to cup her cheek gently.

“Shit. Carol, I’m sorry. I’m so sorry.” His eyes were wide as he looked down at her anxiously. She couldn’t help but smile softly up at him.

“It’s okay, Daryl,” she whispered. “I guess I’m just not as ready for this as I thought I was.”

“That’s okay,” he said softly. He pressed a soft, chaste kiss to her lips before moving off of her, reaching out a hand to help her sit up. Self-consciously, she readjusted the skirt of her dress as she sat neatly beside him. “I told ya, we don’t gotta do anythin’ ya don’t wanna do. ‘N I meant that.”

“I know,” she said with a sad little smile. “One day I’ll get there, Daryl.”

“I know ya will,” he said encouragingly. “’N I’m still gonna be right here to love ya every day ‘till then, ‘n every day after.”

She smiled faintly at him. There was more, so much more that she wanted to say to him. There were so many different things that she was feeling and thinking, things that she was longing for and desperately wanted to tell him about. But before she had the chance to say anything at all she heard the front door open as someone entered the house.

“Carol? I’m home!” Carol smiled as she recognized her father’s voice. “I saw Daryl’s motorcycle outside so I know you’re both here somewhere.”

“In the living room!” Carol called, incredibly grateful that he hadn’t decided to come home about five minutes sooner. That would have made for a very awkward conversation, indeed.

Her father entered the living room, still wearing his business suit. “Hello, pumpkin,” he said, leaning down to give her a kiss on top of her head. “And hello, Daryl,” he said with a smile, reaching over to shake Daryl’s hand. “Have a good day at school?”

“Yeah, today was a good day,” Carol said with a smile.

“Good. That’s what I like to hear. Your grades are still good? I know you’ve been accepted into college now and the rest of high school seems pointless, but your grades still matter, you know.”

“Yes, Daddy, I know,” Carol said reassuringly. “My grades are fine.”

“That’s my girl,” he said proudly. “Oh, and I’ve been meaning to ask. Daryl, have you thought about that offer I gave you? One of Jim’s mechanics just moved up to Virginia somewhere, so he’s a little short-staffed. He could definitely use some extra help.”

Daryl nodded quickly. “Yeah, now that I know I’m stayin’ here ‘n livin’ with the Grimes family, I could really use a job.”

“Perfect. I’ll give Jim a call first thing tomorrow morning and let him know. I’ll let you know next time I see you when your first day will be.” Carol’s father smiled warmly at him.

“That’s great. Thanks so much sir, I really ‘preciate it,” Daryl said.

“I told you, it’s no trouble at all,” her father said with a wave of his hand. He left the room then, presumably to change into his favorite sweatpants just like he always did when he got home from work.

“This is going to be great,” Carol said enthusiastically. “You’ll be working and I’ll be in college and we’ll both be local so we can still see each other and be together.” She’d chosen a local college, not wanting to venture too far out into the world and out of her comfort zone. Thanks to Ed, that comfort zone was still relatively small, and she didn’t want to push herself too far by going away for college.

“Yeah,” Daryl agreed. “It’s definitely gonna be great.” And as he pulled her to him, pressing his lips tenderly against hers, she knew that it was true. As long as they had each other, everything would actually be alright.


	25. Chapter 25

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so I'd really hoped to have a more substantial chapter for you guys today, but work totally got in the way of that. The next chapter will definitely be a lot longer though, and hopefully it'll also be a bit better. I hope you'll all enjoy this little chapter in the meantime! :)

"So, what are we doing on prom night?" 

Daryl turned to face Carol hesitantly, afraid to see what her expression would be. They were walking side by side, heading in the direction of the high school cafeteria.

"I dunno. Don't really do school dances or nothin'," he grumbled awkwardly. 

"I figured as much. So what do you want to do instead?" she asked brightly. Whatever Daryl had expected her to say, it certainly hadn't been that. 

"Didn't ya wanna go?" he asked. "Ya should go 'n have fun at your prom." 

Carol shrugged. "I wouldn't have fun without you there, anyway," she replied. "And I don't want to force you to go. So whatever you want to do instead is what we'll do." 

"Carol..."

"I'm serious, Daryl. I don't even want to go that much, and I certainly don't want to go if you won't be there. So tell me what you'd like to do that night, or I'll tell you what we're doing instead. And it may or may not involve some sappy romance movies." Carol grinned wickedly at him and he knew he'd been beaten. He'd almost rather go to the damned prom than sit through another one of those stupid romance movies. 

"Alright," he grumbled. "How 'bout if we just hang out at my place? Rick will be at prom with Michonne, 'n Mrs. Grimes will let us hang out as late as ya want." 

Carol smiled warmly at that. "I think that's a great idea," she said. "Nothing too fancy, but at the same time we'll definitely have fun." 

“Right,” he agreed. She giggled, giving him a gentle nudge with her shoulder as they neared the cafeteria.

“So, when we hang out at your house, any chance we could watch a romance movie or two?” she asked sweetly.

“Not a chance,” he grumbled and she laughed.

“Okay. What about a different kind of movie? There’s that new zombie one that came out recently. We could watch that.”

“Ya like zombie movies?” he asked incredulously.

“Not really,” she said with a smile. “But the main guy is cute.”

“Say what now?” Daryl grumbled and Carol giggled.

“You know, the one with the long hair, rides a motorcycle. Any straight girl with a functioning pair of eyes is in love with him,” Carol said dreamily.

“Pfft.”

“I guess you could say I have a thing for long haired boys that ride motorcycles,” Carol said with a grin.

Daryl snorted, leaning over to kiss her temple. “Lucky for me,” he whispered. She giggled again, and he took her hand as they entered the already crowded cafeteria.

“Ah yes, here comes someone with an actual brain!” Daryl saw Milton, Eugene, and Glenn already seated around their table, and Glenn did not look very happy. “Carol,” Milton said. “Would you please explain to Eugene that the recent documentary on planarian worms was well-done and highly informative?”

“Or would you kindly explain to this irrelevant and frighteningly daft clump of cells that the documentary was flawed in its information and misleading?” Eugene shot back haughtily.

“I definitely didn’t watch any documentary about worms,” Carol replied, wrinkling her nose in disgust. Daryl couldn’t help but smile every time she did that. He loved her nose anyway, but when the tip of it crinkled like that it was everything he could do not to lean in and kiss it.

“Excuse you, but it was not about _worms_ ,” Eugene replied in his best Carol imitation. “But _planarian worms_.”

“Either way, it’s still gross,” Carol said with a shrug.

“That’s what I’ve been saying!” Glenn said in triumph, clearly glad that he finally had some reinforcements to back him up.

“Uncultured swine,” Eugene mumbled in disgust. “All of you.”

“Tell it to your worms, Eugene,” Glenn said.

“ _Planarian worms_ ,” he said forcefully. “Daryl, talk some sense into these imbeciles.”

“Don’t look at me, I don’t know nothin’ ‘bout no damn worms,” he said.

Eugene sighed heavily. “I’m surrounded by idiots,” he mumbled.

“Guess who just got asked to prom!”

Daryl turned, seeing Michonne and Rick come over to the table hand in hand, Michonne holding a large bouquet of flowers and smiling radiantly. Daryl smiled silently. He’d known that Rick was going to ask her to prom today, and he’d spent the larger part of the previous night laying across his bed while Rick paced around his bedroom, fretting over just how he would ask her.

“Ahhhh, congrats!” Carol squealed, giving Michonne a hug.

“I need to find a dress,” Michonne sighed, plopping herself down beside Carol. “We should go shopping together.”

“I’ll go with you, but I don’t need a dress,” Carol said. Michonne stared at her in confusion.

“What do you mean, you don’t need a dress?” she asked. “Do you already have one?” Carol shook her head. “Okay, but you’re going to prom, aren’t you?”

“Nope!” Carol replied happily.

“What do you mean you aren’t going to prom? Daryl, why aren’t you taking Carol to prom?” Michonne glared over at him, and Daryl was suddenly glad there were no sharp objects around for her to attack him with.

“Carol didn’t wanna go, ‘n neither did I,” he said slowly.

“Seriously? Why don’t you want to go? Prom is a once in a lifetime thing!” Michonne exclaimed. “And what am I going to do all night without my best friend there?” She looked helplessly at Carol who offered her a small smile.

“Come on Mich, you and I both know you’ll have fun anyway,” she told her reassuringly.

Michonne shook her head sadly. “You two are weird,” she said, looking back and forth between Carol and Daryl.”

“We know,” Carol said with a smile, reaching over to interlock her fingers with Daryl’s. “But at least we’re weird together.”

As lunch went on and the conversation drifted away from the topic of prom, Daryl roped an arm around Carol’s waist, leaning in to whisper softly in her ear.

“I don’t think you’re weird,” he whispered.

She smiled at that. “I don’t think you’re weird either, Pookie,” she replied, leaning in to kiss him. She tasted like chicken salad and lemonade, and Daryl suddenly found himself with a serious craving for both.

He turned back to his own lunch, taking a bite of the sandwich Mrs. Grimes had packed for him. Of course he hadn’t actually thought that she found him weird, but he found himself dwelling on her reassuring words anyway. There was just one little thing left that was bothering him.

“Hey, Carol?”

“Hmm?”

“The hell is a Pookie?”


	26. Chapter 26

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, hello everyone! I've been dying to get to this part of the story, but I didn't want to rush it because that just wouldn't be realistic. Keep in mind that a bit of time has passed between the last chapter and this one, so our little Carol and Daryl have had a bit more time to grow and get to where they are now. Not too much time, probably about a few weeks or so. Anyway, I hope you all enjoy! :)

“I can’t believe you really aren’t going tonight.”

Carol sat cross-legged on the edge of Michonne’s bed, a curling iron in her hands and Maggie seated on the floor in front of her. She’d agreed to help her friends get ready before prom, but she still maintained that she herself would not be attending. She’d rather help doll everyone else up and then spend the rest of the night wearing her comfiest pair of sweatpants while wrapped up in Daryl’s arms.

“I’m really not,” she replied, letting another curl fall into place on Maggie’s head. “Prom was never really a big deal to me, you know? And Daryl definitely doesn’t want to go.”

“Such a shame, I’d love to see him all dressed up,” Michonne sighed.

“I’d give him hell over the sight of him wearing a tie,” Tara said.

“My thoughts exactly,” Michonne agreed.

“You guys are horrible,” Carol said with a small shake of her head. She twisted some of Maggie’s freshly curled hair into a dainty hair clip she’d found, pulling some of the hair back from her face. “Alright, Maggie, turn around so I can see how I did.”

“Oh my God, Carol. You’re a magician,” Michonne said in awe, staring at Maggie’s hair. Maggie turned so that she was looking at Carol, and even Carol had to admit she did do a great job. Maggie looked absolutely stunning.

“You look fabulous,” Carol told her with a smile.

“Damn Carol,” Maggie said, turning to look at herself in the mirror. “Can I hire you to do my hair every day? This is amazing.”

Carol chuckled. “Thanks, but no. I don’t do this every day. And I certainly wouldn’t do this for just anyone.”

“Yeah, we’re flattered,” Tara grumbled from over in the corner where she was struggling to pull the straps of her dress into place. “Now get over here and help me zip up this stupid dress.”

*****

Once her friends were all dressed up and ready to go, Carol said her goodbyes. She wanted to be long gone by the time their dates all got there, and within her mind she was halfway into Daryl’s arms already.

“You sure you don’t want to come?” Michonne asked. “I’ve got a few dresses in my closet that should fit you. You could borrow one to wear, and then you can get a last-minute ticket at the door.”

“I’m positive,” Carol replied, giving her friend a hug. “You guys have fun. And take lots of pictures.”

“It’d be more fun if you were there,” Michonne pouted.

“I highly doubt that. Now go back inside, your dates will be here soon.” They were standing in the driveway outside the house, and Carol didn’t want Rick getting any sneak peeks of Michonne as he pulled up to the house. Carol had meticulously woven baby’s breath into Michonne’s hair and they looked especially elegant when paired with the sequined white dress she was wearing.

“Alright. Have a fun night with Daryl,” Michonne said, giving Carol one last hug. Carol stepped back, swinging her leg easily over Daryl’s motorcycle. Since she didn’t have a car of her own just yet and since she’d gotten so good at riding a motorcycle, Daryl had actually agreed to let her borrow the bike to drive the short distance over to Michonne’s house.

“Have fun at prom!” Carol called as she revved the engine, pulling easily out of Michonne’s driveway and driving down the street. She loved the freedom she felt riding on Daryl’s bike, so much so that she was almost tempted to ask her parents if instead of buying her a car before college, they could get her a motorcycle of her own instead.

She pulled into the Grimes’ driveway a few minutes later, killing the engine and flying up the front steps as fast as her legs would carry her. He was already at the door when she reached it, pulling her into a tight embrace the instant she was up the steps.

“What took ya so long? I was gettin’ worried ya crashed or somethin’,” he mumbled against her hair.

“Sorry. Tara’s hair didn’t respond very well to the curling iron, so I had to improvise,” Carol replied breathlessly. He pulled her in for a kiss, his breath mingling with hers as he shifted so that he was even closer to her. Carol couldn’t help but notice how firm his chest felt through the thin fabric of the t-shirt he was wearing. His hair had clearly just been washed and fell into his eyes just so, and Carol couldn’t help noticing just how toned his arms looked in that shirt. All of that combined with the pure smell of him was enough to do crazy things to her head.

“’M just glad you’re here,” he said softly, yanking her abruptly from her thoughts. “C’mon. Mrs. Grimes got us extra pillows ‘n blankets for the couch so we can watch that new zombie movie ya wanted to see. ‘N she offered t’ make us popcorn, but I told her to just make us some more cookies. Figured ya’d like that better.”

“You figured right,” she said happily, taking his hand as he closed the front door behind them. They made their way to the living room, finding Mrs. Grimes setting down a large plate of cookies on the coffee table in front of the couch.

“Oh Carol, it’s lovely to see you, as always,” Mrs. Grimes said cheerfully, pulling Carol in for a hug.

“Hi, Mrs. Grimes,” Carol said, releasing Daryl’s hand so that she could hug her back.

“If you two need anything else, you just let me know. I’ll be upstairs so I can stay out of your hair.” She pressed a quick kiss to the top of Daryl’s head before leaving the room, and Carol moved around the couch to situate herself among the blankets and pillows. Daryl followed suit, moving a pillow out of the way so that he could wrap one arm around her.

“This good?” he asked. “Comfortable?”

Carol nodded, leaning back in his arms.

“Good,” he replied, adjusting his hold on her ever so slightly. “Michonne still upset ya ain’t goin’ to prom?”

“Of course,” Carol replied.

“Are you?”

“Upset?’

He nodded silently. She glanced up at his face and one look into his pristine blue eyes told her everything he was leaving unsaid.

“Daryl, of course I’m not upset,” she assured him, resting her hand gently against his cheek. “You know I’d miss a thousand proms just to spend more time with you.”

Daryl smiled softly at that, leaning over to kiss her deeply. The moment that their lips connected, something about it felt different to Carol. She felt a spark in her like she'd never felt before, and she knew instantly that she wanted more than just this chaste kiss. So much more. She leaned into him, her fingers moving so that they could tangle in his hair. His hands moved gently around her waist, holding her close as he kissed her. She held him firmly in place as her tongue slithered out to pry open his lips, entering his mouth with a feeling of pure determination. Her hands moved away from his hair, slipping down to rest firmly on his shoulders. She pushed him backwards, moving along with him until his back was pressed squarely against the back of the couch. 

With a soft groan, Carol shifted. She swung her leg up and over his, settling down to straddle his lap without breaking the kiss. She felt him tense up in surprise for a moment, but as she continued to kiss him he responded back just as enthusiastically. Her hands drifted back up into his hair, and as her lips and tongue moved against his she felt for a moment as if she would never get enough of him. 

As she shifted against him she felt something poke her in the thigh, and she couldn't help the smile that spread across her lips as she realized exactly what it was. She shifted again so that his obvious erection was pressed right up against her groin instead. She and Daryl both hissed at the contact, breaking their kiss long enough to stare at each other in shock. 

"Thought ya wanted to wait," he mumbled, his cheeks flushing a deep crimson color. 

"I guess we waited long enough," she whispered, her insides fluttering in a way she'd never felt before. "Because right now all I can think about is how badly I want to be with you." 

She reclaimed his lips with her own, rotating her hips experimentally against his. A wave of pleasure like she'd never felt before washed over her and it just felt so  _right_. All her memories of Ed went straight out the window now that she knew Daryl could make her feel like this. Being with Ed had been all pain all the time. Ed had forced her to do things she didn't want to do, and he had been the one in control at all times. But now she was the one in control, the one straddling Daryl's lap while she set the pace. This was different and this was exciting and God  _damn_ , she didn't want it to ever end. 

"Y'know," Daryl said breathlessly, pulling his lips away from hers suddenly. Carol did her best not to pout at the loss of contact. "Mrs. Grimes could walk in here whenever she wants." 

"And?" Carol asked, giving him another heated kiss. 

"'M just sayin', that could get real awkward real fast," Daryl said. He was breathing heavily, and just the slightest movement from Carol had him groaning at the friction in his pants. 

"Maybe I don't care," Carol said, leaning in to kiss him again. 

"You keep kissin' me like this, 'n were gonna wind up doin' a lot more than just kissin'," he warned her with a groan, his hands sliding down on her hips again. It was amazing to her how his touch didn't seem to trigger any painful memories for her anymore. It was almost as if her memories of Ed could be chased away, just by the gentle touch of Daryl's loving hands. 

"Maybe I want to do more than just kiss you," Carol said. She looked him dead in the eye so he knew she was serious. The truth was, she'd wanted to do this with Daryl for a very long time. Probably for months. But she hadn't had the courage or the ability to even attempt to make a move on him. Not until tonight anyway, when suddenly, finally, she did. 

"Ya want to?" he asked softly. "Are ya ready for that?" 

She nodded determinedly. "I'm ready, Daryl. I love you." 

He nodded slowly. "Alright. But maybe not tonight. Mrs. Grimes is home 'n we’re in the middle of the living room. 'Sides, I ain't got any... uh, protection." 

"Oh. Right. Condoms are important," Carol said, nodding her head in agreement. She climbed deliberately off his lap, snuggling up against his side instead. She grinned slightly as she looked down at the very obvious bulge in his pants, feeling a twinge of regret that she wouldn't be able to do anything about it tonight. 

***** 

Daryl's arm had gone numb about an hour ago. Carol was curled up on the couch beside him, a blanket drawn around her shoulders as she slept soundly against his chest. His right arm was sandwiched firmly between her and the back of the couch, and he couldn't feel his fingers anymore. 

He looked down at her sleeping face, smiling to himself at how peaceful and innocent she looked. She didn't look like someone whose boyfriend had abused her, like someone with lingering physical and emotional scars left over from the way he'd treated her. 

Scars which had finally begun to heal. 

Carol was obviously feeling far more confident in herself these days. She’d learned to ride a motorcycle, she was obviously more comfortable being around other people now, and she had finally shed the sweaters she’d confined herself to for so long. She was almost like a brand new person. And Daryl was absolutely loving this metamorphosis of hers.

Now that he'd seen her bare arms, he couldn't get enough of them. He loved trailing his fingers across the skin there, watching as goosebumps rose up in the wake of his fingertips. He'd lean in and kiss them away, kissing up and down her arms until she pulled his lips back up to meet her own. He couldn't get enough of her. 

And now that she was feeling comfortable and confident enough to go even further with him, he had a funny feeling that his cravings to be close to her were only going to get worse. Just the feeling of her straddling his lap, her core pressed against the erection straining against the crotch of his pants, left him crying inside for more. He couldn't help thinking that there were parts of her still unknown to him, parts of her that he hadn't loved yet. He wanted to kiss her everywhere, dispelling any lingering hurts that Ed's touch could have left on her skin. Where Ed Peletier had hurt her, Daryl Dixon would love her, canceling out any lingering pain that she might still have. He made it his own personal mission to be everything she needed him to be, and to love her as best as he possibly could. 

He watched as her lips quirked up in the faintest of smiles, her mind probably lost in some dream. He ran the fingers of his free hand through her curls, gently moving them off her face. God, she was beautiful. 

The sound of footsteps behind him made him turn, and he saw Mrs. Grimes enter the room in silence. 

"Is she asleep?" she asked quietly. He nodded. 

"It's almost midnight, so I was thinking I might go to sleep soon. Should we wake her up and get her home? I don't want her parents to worry."

"Her folks are away on business this weekend. Won't be home 'till Monday." 

Mrs. Grimes thought to herself for a moment. "Well, she's more than welcome to stay the night, if you'd like," she said. "Are you both going to be comfortable sleeping on the couch like that?" 

Daryl nodded. "I'm fine right here," he whispered. 

Mrs. Grimes smiled sweetly at that, leaning over the back of the couch to press a soft kiss to the top of Daryl's head. "Alright," she whispered. "You can wake me if you two need anything. Sweet dreams, Daryl. I love you." 

"Love ya too, Mrs. Grimes. 'Night." 

Mrs. Grimes made her way silently back up the stairs and Daryl turned his attention back towards Carol. She was still peacefully asleep, looking just as beautiful as ever. Like an angel, he thought.  _His_  angel. 

He leaned over to press the softest of kisses to her forehead, before closing his eyes and drifting off into a dreamless sleep. The last thing he was conscious of was the feeling of her warm breath on his chest, and the steady rhythm of her heart beating in time with his. 


	27. Chapter 27

Daryl was pacing. He'd been doing the same thing for the past half hour, pacing back and forth across his bedroom floor, totally lost in his thoughts. He couldn't get his mind off of what had happened the night before. Carol had climbed right on top of him, straddled his damn lap, and now she had him totally wound up in a way that nobody else ever had before. He'd never actually thought about a girl like this before. He’d never thought about what it would be like to actually be with anyone the way that Carol suddenly wanted to be with him, and it was entirely messing him up. He couldn't stop thinking about it. 

He knew how everything worked of course and he knew what he was supposed to do, but he was completely inexperienced with girls. Hell, Carol had been his damn first kiss. When it came to girls, Daryl had next to no experience whatsoever. 

Which was probably why he was freaking out so damn much. He had no clue what the hell he was doing, and he didn't want to hurt Carol. He knew it was a huge deal that she even trusted him enough for this at all, and the last thing he wanted to do was hurt her. She'd already been hurt more than enough to last her a lifetime. 

With a heavy sigh Daryl stopped pacing, turning instead to exit the room and head downstairs. All that thinking was making him hungry, and he could definitely go for some of Mrs. Grimes' cookies. He headed silently for the kitchen, stopping short at the door when he saw that Mrs. Grimes was seated at the kitchen table, a paperback book held open in her hands. Before he could turn back and hide however, she put the book down, offering him one of her best motherly smiles. 

"Hello, Daryl. Done pacing around up there?" He felt his cheeks burn as she chuckled softly. "I've been listening to you walk back and forth up there for the past hour. Something on your mind?" 

His cheeks continued to blush as he stared at her. No way was he going to answer that question honestly. The thought of talking about sex with Mrs. Grimes made him want into crawl in a hole and hide for the rest of his life. 

He shrugged without responding, sitting beside her so that he could reach the plate of cookies she had sitting in the center of the table. 

"You've been thinking about Carol," Mrs. Grimes said, watching him bite into a cookie. 

He glanced sideways at her, nodding silently. Of course he knew he couldn't lie to her. She could read him almost as easily as Carol could. Lying to her would just be a waste of time and effort. 

"What about her?" she asked, reaching for a cookie for herself. 

He felt himself blush again, shrugging in response. No way in hell was he answering that. 

She took a careful bite of her cookie, chewing it thoughtfully. "You know," she said. "I couldn't help but notice you two were sitting very close to each other last night." 

He slowly swallowed his bite of cookie. "So?" 

"So," she said. "I can't help thinking that you two are at the point in your relationship where you're very comfortable with each other. You love each other, and you trust each other." 

Daryl did not like where she was going with this. 

"I can't help but think you two are going to want to move forward with your relationship, and maybe you'll open up to each other in ways you haven't done yet." 

Daryl swallowed uneasily. She was thinking far too closely along the same lines as he and Carol were for his liking. 

Mrs. Grimes sighed softly. "Okay, I'm just going to come right out and ask. Have you and Carol talked about whether or not you want to have sex?" 

Daryl felt his cheeks flare up again, and he ducked his head in embarrassment. "Maybe," he mumbled. 

Mrs. Grimes chuckled softly. "I knew it," she said proudly. "You've never done it before, have you?" 

Daryl put his head down on the table, covering it with his arms, hiding his entire face from her. 

"Aww, sweetie it's alright," she said, putting her hand comfortingly on his back. "I just figured you were so nervous about it that this must be your first time." 

Daryl didn't look up. He couldn't even bring himself to meet her eyes. 

"Alright," Mrs. Grimes said softly. "I want you to wait right here, okay?" He heard her get up, and he listened to the sound of her footsteps as she went upstairs. He lifted his head slowly, finding that he was alone at last. He thought about making a run for it, about sprinting upstairs and hiding in his room for a while, but before he could even move he heard Mrs. Grimes' footsteps on the stairs again. She re-entered the kitchen, and Daryl saw that she was holding something. She sat down beside him again, placing whatever it was in her hands on the table in front of him. He stared at the box, reading the label and trying to process what it was. 

When he figured it out he couldn't tell if he wanted to vomit, hide, or just die. 

"Promise me you'll use them," Mrs. Grimes said. "The last thing you two want to do is get Carol pregnant the summer before college." 

Daryl couldn't help wishing that this was all just one horrible dream. That he would wake up in his bed the next morning and find that he'd never had this conversation with Mrs. Grimes. That she'd never given him an unopened box of condoms and asked him to promise her that he'd use them. 

"Daryl?" 

He looked up at her then, his cheeks burning so hot that he could hardly stand it. 

"You just keep boxes of condoms lyin' around?" he blurted out. Mrs. Grimes chuckled softly. 

"Daryl, I'm a married woman," she said between giggles. Daryl took a moment to process the implications of that statement. 

"Oh my God, I did not need to know 'bout any 'a that," he said quickly, shoving his chair back and standing up quickly. 

"Sorry," she said with a shrug. "How did you think Rick happened?" 

"I don't know, I never thought about it!" he exclaimed. Mrs. Grimes laughed again. 

"I know you and Carol want to do this. And you're going to. Just promise me that you'll use these and be safe about it." 

He looked over at her again. She was just as patient and understanding as ever, and he couldn't help wondering how he'd gotten so lucky to get a mom like her. 

"I promise," he said softly. 

"Good," she said briskly, standing up and placing a kiss on top of his head. 

Daryl took the box of condoms from the table, turning it over and over in his hands. "Thanks, Mrs. Grimes." 


	28. Chapter 28

To say that Daryl was nervous would be an understatement. It was Friday night and Carol’s parents were away on business again. Armed with the box of condoms he’d tried to forget were from Mrs. Grimes, Daryl had gone over to Carol’s house after school. The plan was that he would spend the night over at her house and they would see about putting those condoms to good use.

Inside his own head he tried to get a handle on why he was so damned nervous. He’d slept beside Carol before. He’d held her all night while she slept soundly in his arms, and he knew how much she trusted and loved him. She trusted him more than he’d ever thought possible, and yet he was still nervous about the whole thing. Apparently Carol trusted him more than he even trusted himself.

He’d been quieter than usual all evening, and throughout their dinner he’d hardly said a word. Just when he thought his nerves wouldn’t be able to handle it anymore, Carol had stood up, holding out her hand to him.

“Why don’t we head upstairs to my room?” she asked softly. Daryl self-consciously swallowed the nervous lump that rose up in his throat, taking her soft hand in his and following her silently up the stairs.

He’d already brought his things into her room as soon as he’d arrived. He’d showed her the box of condoms stashed away inside his backpack, and she’d laughed mercilessly at him when he’s explained just how he’d gotten them. Then she’d taken the box from him, setting it aside but within easy reach for later.

Now here they were again, back inside her bedroom and Carol was closing the door behind them. He didn’t know why she felt the need to close the door, they’d be home alone all night long, but he decided not to question it as he sat down gingerly on the edge of her bed. As she turned around and came towards him, Daryl could hardly believe this was even happening. She sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, her fingers slowly weaving themselves between his. Before he could lose his nerve he leaned in and kissed her softly, hoping to God that she couldn’t tell just how clueless he really was about this whole thing.

*****

Carol’s heart was thumping wildly in her chest as Daryl leaned in to kiss her. She’d been nervous about this all evening, and she hoped to God that Daryl couldn’t tell. The last thing she wanted him to think was that she wasn’t ready for this. She wanted this with him, and as far as she was concerned, tonight was going to be her first time. All her memories of Ed Peletier could take a flying leap for all she cared. Tonight, the only thing that mattered to her was Daryl. And she was determined to show him that.

Carol turned into him slowly, her hands moving behind the base of his neck as he kissed her softly. She felt his hands skim over her back, and her lips quirked up in a smile when she felt how shaky his hands were. He was just as nervous as she was, and it was everything she could do to keep from giggling at the thought. She leaned in to deepen the kiss then, her tongue snaking out to tangle up with his. She pulled back from him for a moment, pushing him further back onto the bed and climbing nimbly into his lap, her legs straddling him as she reclaimed his lips with her own. She felt his arms wrap tightly around her waist as he laid down on his back, pulling her down with him. 

They continued to kiss like that for a while, lips and tongues exploring each other softly while Carol ran her hands softly up and down Daryl's broad chest, feeling the muscles there. She felt him shudder against her touch, and she pulled back just enough to look at him. 

"Are you nervous?" she asked in a small voice. He nodded silently, and Carol could actually read the fear that was in his eyes. 

"Scared like hell," he admitted. "You?" 

She nodded as well, feeling at least somewhat comforted but the fact that he seemed to be just as nervous as she was. He moved to sit up and Carol moved with him, his arms staying firmly wrapped around her waist. 

"Whenever ya wanna stop, you just tell me. Okay? We don't gotta do this tonight." His eyes were wide, and Carol could see just how concerned he was for her. She nodded in agreement, pressing another kiss to his lips. Her fingers trailed lightly down his chest, coming to a stop at the edge of his shirt. She held the soft material in her hands, pulling it up slowly. She broke the kiss just long enough to pull the shirt over his head, and she tossed it over her shoulder and onto the floor. Her hands came back to rest against his bare chest, and she sighed as she leaned into him for another kiss. 

His shaking hands were on her again, running slowly up and down her sides. Carol felt the fabric of her shirt slide up slightly, exposing the flesh of her lower belly to his wandering fingers. Her flesh tingled where his hands made contact, and despite everything she’d been through, she felt herself wanting more of his touch. Where Ed had handled her roughly and forcefully, leaving bruises and scratch marks where he held her too hard, Daryl’s hands caressed her softly. His touch fueled her with a fire she’d never felt before, and she thought there was absolutely nothing she wouldn’t give for him to keep touching her like that forever.

His fingers continued to drift across her hips and stomach, coming to a halt as he grabbed the hem of her shirt in his hands, pulling it up slowly. His lips parted from hers for a few moments as he pulled the fabric gently over her head, casting it onto the floor where his own shirt lay as he reclaimed her lips with his own.

“Ya wanna stop?” he asked gently, pulling away again so that he could look at her. She’d thought that she would be self-conscious in front of Daryl like this, without her shirt on as his hands skimmed over her bare flesh. But she found herself strangely calm, surprising herself at how easy it was for her to be with him like this. She knew that it was entirely because of him, and she leaned in to give him another tender kiss.

“I’m starting to wonder if you’re the one who wants to stop,” she said softly. “Because we can if you want to. But I’m ready if you are.” She watched as his eyes travelled up and down her mostly bare torso, his gaze raking over her small breasts, still covered by the material of her bra, a few times. She smiled softly at him, reaching out to caress his cheek gently with her fingertips.

“I want ya,” he whispered, his voice barely a low growl in his throat.

“I want you, too.”

He seemed to pounce on her then, his lips crashing against hers as he pulled her flush up against him. His hands moved their way up and over her back, moving soothingly and surely across her creamy skin. Her tongue came out to dance with his, both of them seeming to fight for dominance as her hands moved from Daryl’s cheek and into his hair instead.

His hands moved from her back to her hips, coming to her front to open the button on her pants, sliding the material down her legs slowly, placing soft wet kisses along the skin of her leg as he exposed more of her to him. The pants soon joined their shirts on the floor, and Carol made quick work of adding Daryl’s pants to the growing pile of clothes.

His hands skimmed up her body slowly, moving up her legs and to her hips and stomach. His palm came to a halt right beneath the swell of her breast, and he looked into her eyes for a moment before continuing.

“Can I?” he asked softly.

Carol giggled. “Are you asking me for permission to touch my boobs?” she asked through her giggles.

“Uhh, yeah. Guess I am,” he replied awkwardly.

Carol leaned in to kiss him, taking hold of his hand and helping him guide it upwards until he cupped one breast in his palm.

“Of course you can touch them,” she said softly, feeling more bold than she’d ever felt before. “You can touch me wherever you want.”

His cheeks flushed crimson at her words, and she felt his erection twitch against her thigh as she leaned in to kiss him again. His hand was kneading at her breast softly, and Carol couldn’t stop the moan that escaped her lips at the feeling. Ed had never loved her like this, had never worshipped her body like this. Daryl’s lips had moved from her mouth to her neck, and his free hand moved around her to find the clasp of her bra. He removed the material from her body slowly, casting it aside and freeing her to him. He stared down at her for a moment, taking in the sight of her almost completely bared to him like this. His thumb moved to swipe gently across her nipple, and Carol gasped at the sensation.

“Sorry,” he said quickly, moving his hand away.

“No,” she said, grabbing his hand and moving it back to her chest. “That feels good. Don’t stop.”

He smiled down at her for a moment, pressing a kiss to her lips as his hand travelled down her body again, coming to a stop at her hip. He kissed her tenderly before pulling back just enough to look at her.

“Ya wanna stop? Or did ya wanna keep goin’?” His eyes were full of love and concern for her, and her heart swelled knowing that he understood. That no matter what she said he would still love her, and he would still look at her with that exact same look in his eyes. The one that he saved just for her.

“I’m ready, Daryl,” she said firmly. “I want to keep going.”

He kissed her again as he slid the fabric of her panties down her legs and threw them to the floor. She did the same with his boxers, and she laid back on the pillows as she watched him reach over and remove one of the little foil packets from within the box on her nightstand. He opened the wrapper, and Carol watched in silence as he slid on the condom. He climbed over her again, kissing her so softly she nearly cried out in anticipation of what was to come.

“You sure?” he asked. “We can still stop now if ya want to.”

Carol nodded up at him. “I’ve never been so sure of anything in my whole life,” she said, her fingers stroking his cheek lightly. “I love you. And I want this. Did you want to stop?” He shook his head quickly. “Okay, then. Just… be gentle.”

“I will,” he said solemnly. “Promise.”

His lips found hers again and he kissed her softly as he lined himself up. He pressed into her slowly, letting out a heavy breath as he felt her wrapped around him. She moaned softly as she felt him enter her, a feeling of pure bliss and peace washing over her as she adjusted to the feeling of him inside her.

“Ya okay?” he whispered against her ear.

“Yeah,” she said. “I’m okay. You?”

He nodded against her shoulder, his shaggy hair tickling her skin.

“Then let’s keep going,” she said, pressing a kiss to his lips.

Being with Daryl was better than anything she could have possibly imagined. He moved slowly and his touches were always gentle, lighting a fire deep inside her with every caress of his fingertips. She could feel something building slowly inside her, something she had never felt before, and she had to force her eyes closed as an explosion of pure pleasure and bliss ripped through her. She felt Daryl shudder against her as he reached the same euphoria, his voice a low growl as he groaned out her name. So this was what all the hype was about, she thought to herself. This was what it was like to make love, to be with the person you care the most about in this world. This was what heaven must feel like.

They came down from their climaxes at the same time, blue eyes meeting blue eyes as they both breathed heavily. As Carol stared into the depths of Daryl’s blue eyes, she didn’t know what to say to him. What could she even say to put her feelings for him into words?

“That was amazin’,” Daryl mumbled, his lips tenderly pressing themselves against hers. She nodded in silence, kissing him back as fiercely as she could. “You okay?” he asked for what must have been the millionth time that evening, and she nodded once again.

“I’m freaking fantastic,” she said softly, letting out a laugh. “Absolutely fantastic. Daryl, that was amazing.”

He smiled at that, pressing one more kiss to her lips before he moved off of her, removing the condom and throwing it away in the garbage can that Carol had specifically moved closer to her bed for the night. He crawled back into the bed beside her, pulling the blanket over them both. She settled into his arms, kissing his lips softly as she snuggled up against him.

“I love you, Daryl,” she whispered, closing her eyes. “You’re the best thing that ever happened to me.”

She felt him smile into her hair, and he pressed a kiss to the top of her head. “You’re definitely the best thing that ever happened to _me_ ,” he replied. “’N I love you with all my heart, Carol.”

She felt sleep pull her under as Daryl’s breath blew gently against her hair, and she felt herself drift off into a dreamless sleep with the smell of Daryl all around her. If this was heaven, then she never wanted to leave. 


	29. Chapter 29

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter sort of took an unsuspected twist as I was writing it... I think you'll all like it, though :)

Carol woke up feeling warm and relaxed. She blinked in the late morning light filtering in through her bedroom window, her gaze coming to rest on the shape of Daryl curled up beside her, one arm holding her close. His breath blew gently against her shoulder, and the ends of his hair tickled at her chin. He looked so peaceful when he was asleep, and Carol couldn’t help herself as she reached over to run her fingers ever so gently through his hair.

Last night had been absolutely incredible. It was easily the best experience of her life, and she was already excited for a lifetime of nights like that with Daryl. There was absolutely no doubt in her mind, she was going to spend the rest of her life with him. She couldn’t ever see herself falling in love like this with anybody else.

She felt Daryl shift slightly against her, and he let out a soft groan as he did. She smiled as she watched him wake, his eyes fluttering open slowly and coming to rest on her face. Her fingers resumed their gentle strokes through his hair, and he smiled sleepily up at her as he regained his consciousness.

“Mornin’,” he mumbled blearily, nestling his head into the crook of her shoulder.

“Good morning,” she whispered back, turning her head so that she could press a soft kiss to his cheek.

“You sleep okay?” he asked, blinking up at her.

“Better than I’ve slept for a long time,” she admitted. Her fingers trailed from his hair and down his cheek, tracing along his jaw and coming to a halt at his lips. He kissed at her fingertips as she did, and she giggled softly at the feeling. She could certainly get used to waking up like this.

“Me too,” he told her. He propped himself up on his elbow, leaning in to kiss her properly. “Last night was the best night of my life.”

She could feel herself blushing at his words, but she also felt a fullness in her heart when he looked at her like that. He looked at her like she was a breath of fresh air, like she was everything he would ever need in his life. She recognized that look because it was exactly the same way that she looked at him.

“Good,” she told him quietly. “Because it was the best night of my life, too.”

He pressed a soft kiss to the tip of her nose. “I didn’t hurt ya at all, did I?” he asked. She loved how concerned he was for her well-being, even after the fact. In every little moment she spent with him, Carol could always tell just how much Daryl cared about her, and that was just one of the many reasons why she had fallen so deeply in love with him.

“No, Daryl. You didn’t hurt me at all,” she told him. “Just like I knew you wouldn’t.”

He chuckled once at that. “Guess ya had more faith in me than I did,” he told her.

“I know that you would never hurt me,” she said, her fingers grazing lightly over his cheek. “I trust you, Daryl.” She leaned in to kiss him then, her hand moving slowly down his neck and to his shoulder, resting against his bare chest as he kissed her back lovingly.

“So, what’re we doin’ today?” he asked, pulling back just enough to rest his forehead gently against hers.

“Hmm, it doesn’t matter to me,” she replied. “As long as I’m with you, I don’t care what we do.” He grinned at that, kissing the tip of her nose again.

“We could just stay in this bed all day,” he suggested, his hand trailing up and down her arm, causing goosebumps to rise in the wake of his fingertips. She smiled at that idea, but before she could agree with him she felt her stomach rumble loudly. He giggled softly, and Daryl smirked at the sound. “Or, y’know, we could always get some food first, ‘n then come on back to bed.”

“I like the sound of that,” she told him, pressing a kiss to his lips before she climbed out of bed. She picked up his t-shirt off the floor and pulled it over her head, and she also pulled on a pair of her own panties. “Come on, I’ll make us something to eat.”

She made her way downstairs and into the kitchen, and by the time she heard his footsteps coming up behind her she was already rummaging through the cabinets for something to eat.

“Okay, I’ve got frozen waffles, a few different kinds of cereal, ooh, and oatmeal,” Carol said. She felt his arms drift around her stomach, and he pressed up behind her, holding her close.

“I’ll have whatever you’re havin’,” he murmured into her ear, placing a series of soft kisses there. She shuddered at the feeling of his lips on her ear, and she couldn’t bite back the moan that escaped her lips when he boldly began to nibble on her earlobe.

“Daryl,” she whispered, sighing as he moved to place a trail of kisses behind her ear, trailing them softly down the side of her neck. She turned in his arms, wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed him deeply. They continued to kiss like that, lips and tongues exploring each other’s mouths until Carol’s stomach rumbled softly against Daryl’s hands which were pressed flat against her ribcage. He broke the kiss then, smiling at her as he kissed her cheek.

“How ‘bout we eat somethin’ first, huh?” he asked softly. She nodded silently, not trusting herself to speak after kissing him like that, and she turned around to grab a box of cereal. She poured them two bowls, adding the milk and they both sat down around the kitchen table to eat together.

“So, we actually goin’ back to bed after this?” he asked around a mouthful of food. Carol glanced over at him for a moment. He was dressed in nothing but his boxers from the night before, and Carol could see every last ridge and detail of his muscles. Seeing him like that made her want to take him back up to her bed right then.

“I think so,” she said, smiling over at him.

“Okay, what’re we gonna do once we get there?”

Carol grinned slyly over at him. “Well, Daryl,” she said slowly. “We’ve got the whole day to ourselves. And we’ve also got an entire box of condoms upstairs…” She tried her best not to giggle too loudly as Daryl nearly choked on his cereal.

“You sayin’ you’re already set for round two?” he asked.

“Hell yeah,” she said with a wink, getting up to rinse her bowl out in the sink. She thought she’d never seen him move so fast as he jumped up to rinse out his bowl as well. “Come on,” she whispered, taking his hand in hers as she led him back up the stairs and into her room.

He pressed her back against the door as he kissed her, his tongue darting out to move in time with hers. Her hands were in his hair and his fingers were skimming underneath her t-shirt, running across her ribcage and over her bellybutton. In one fluid motion he pulled her back towards him and away from the door, as he simultaneously tore the shirt up and over her head, dropping it on the floor as he reclaimed her lips with his own. His hands moved up her stomach and over her ribs, and one came up to lightly cup her breast with his palm. She moaned into his mouth, her heart racing and her breaths coming in faster as his thumb circled around and around her nipple, working it into a pert little bud. His other hand moved up and mimicked those same motions on her other breast, and Carol had to lean back against the door again for support as the sensation of his hands on her sent a jolt of electricity straight to her core. Her hands moved down his back, feeling the coarse ridges of the scars there, and she marveled at how he didn’t even flinch when she touched him like this. He’d shown her the most vulnerable parts of him, bared all his weaknesses to her, and yet somehow he was still completely at ease with her. He let her see him and touch him in that way, and it left her speechless at just how intimately he trusted her.

He walked her backwards towards her bed, pulling down her panties as they went. She kicked them aside easily, her fingers hooking around the waistband of his boxers and pulling them down his legs. He laid her down on the bed, kicking off his boxers as he climbed over her, kissing her deeply. He moved to kiss her cheek, trailing a line of kisses down to her jaw and to the hollow of her throat, moving down to kiss along her collarbones. He continued to move down her chest and Carol could feel the anticipation building as she felt where his kisses were heading. She’d never had anyone kiss her like this before, never had anyone love her this intimately before, but the feel of Daryl’s lips on her body like this was absolutely divine. She bit back a low moan as his lips moved over her breast, his tongue darting out to move against her nipple. She moved her fingers to his hair, urging him on as his tongue moved over the bud of her nipple, while the fingers of his hand came up to tenderly cup her other breast.  

All too soon she felt him begin trailing those soft kisses back up her chest and over her collarbones again, moving along her throat and jaw until finally he returned to her lips.

“You’re so beautiful,” he whispered against her lips, his hand travelling down her side and over her hip. “Most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen.”

They kissed some more while their hands continued to move, exploring each other and familiarizing themselves with every little detail of each other. She nearly whimpered when she felt him pull away, and she watched as he reached over to grab a condom from the box. She watched him slide it on, and as soon as he was situated she pulled him right back onto her, her tongue tasting his lips as he gently lined himself up.

“Ready?” he asked softly. She nodded, her blue eyes looking straight into his. It was all she could do to hold herself together as he slid home, wanting to make this last as long as possible.

She hadn’t thought that it could be any better than the night before, but apparently she’d been completely wrong about that. This time they both seemed to have a better sense of what they were doing, knowing exactly what sort of pace to set in order to satisfy them both. They peaked at the same time, coming down from their highs in a mess of tangled limbs and heavy breaths. Daryl placed soft kisses all over her face, moving from the tip of her nose to her cheek, to her forehead, and finally to her lips. They kissed for a few moments, each of them struggling to get their breathing back to normal. With one final kiss he rolled off of her, disposing of the condom before laying back against the pillows. She moved up to nestle herself in his arms, tangling her legs with his as she laid her head against his chest. She could feel his heart thumping against her cheek, slowly returning back to a normal rate, and she turned to place a gentle kiss to his chest.

“I love you, Daryl Dixon.”

He kissed her then, his hand cupping her cheek and holding her in place as he did so.

“And I love you,” he replied. “And one day, I’m gonna be able to call you Carol Dixon.” He kissed her again, so tenderly and yet fueled by a passion that Carol knew was all for her. She smiled against his lips, and when he pulled back to gaze adoringly into her eyes, she couldn’t stop herself from gently biting her lip. “Would ya like that?” he asked softly.

“You know I would,” she answered. “I would love that.”

She kissed him again with everything she had, letting him feel just how excited she was that she got to be the one to spend the rest of her life with him.


	30. Chapter 30

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello everyone! Sorry for the wait on this one. I think we've finally reached a good stopping point for this story, so after this chapter there will only be one more chapter. Thank you all so very much for sticking with me for so long, and I truly hope you've all enjoyed this one just as much as I have. Huge hugs to each and every one of you! :)

The coming days felt so surreal to Daryl, he hardly felt like he was actually living them. After a quiet Saturday with Carol he knew he had to return home before Mrs. Grimes came looking for him. Thankfully she didn’t press him for any details, simply hugging him when he walked in the door and telling him how she’s missed him. Rick of course wanted as many gory details as he could get, claiming that it would serve as “research” for when he and Michonne finally felt like they were ready to take that next step together as well. But Daryl refused to give any details, wanting to keep those memories of Carol on reserve specifically for himself.

On Monday came the next major development in Daryl’s life – he was beginning his new job at Jim’s garage in town. It was his first real job and he was beyond nervous; he couldn’t stop thinking about all the different ways that he could fuck this up.

“You’re going to do great, Daryl,” Carol told him earnestly as they stood outside her house. He was dropping her off after school before he had to head in for his first real day of work. “Before you know it, you’ll be the best mechanic Jim has ever hired.”

“Stop,” he said, feeling even more self-conscious than usual. And that was saying something.

“I’m serious,” she said, rubbing a hand gently up and down his arm. “I have complete faith in you. You’ll be great at this.”

He smiled slightly at her. It was nice to have someone like her. No matter what, he knew that she would always believe in him, and she would always support him in everything he did. It was nice for him to have that feeling of support from someone that he cared so much about.

“’M glad at least someone believes in me,” he replied.

“Of course I believe in you,” she replied. “I will always believe in you. You know that.” Of course he knew that, he thought as he wrapped his arms tightly around her, pressing his lips to her temple. She relaxed into his touch, resting her cheek against the steady beat inside his chest. Suddenly Daryl didn’t even want to go to work at all; he wanted to stay right here and be with Carol.

“You’d better get going. You don’t want to be late on your first day,” she said and Daryl forced himself not to pout as she pulled away. She kissed him goodbye and he watched sadly as she turned to head up her front steps.

“I love you,” he called after her. She turned to look back at him with that sunny smile of hers, the one that made Daryl feel like he was looking at an actual ray of sunshine.

“I love you, too, Daryl. Now go and show Jim what an amazing mechanic you’re going to be.”

As he drove off to Jim’s garage, he let her words replay in his head, giving him the confidence boost he so desperately needed. He was going to be great at this. As long as Carol believed in him, Daryl knew that he could do anything.

“You must be Dixon. Daryl, wasn’t it? I’m Jim. Welcome aboard.”

Daryl shook hands with Jim, willing his hands not to shake as he tried to appear at least somewhat professional.

“I gotta be honest with you kid, I wouldn’t have hired you if it weren’t for Dave. You’re dating his daughter, right?” Daryl nodded silently. “Yeah, well, he helped get me out of a real tough spot a few years ago, so I owed him big time. When he asked if I’d be able to give you a job, there was no way I could say no. Just don’t make me regret this, alright?”

“Alright,” Daryl agreed. He followed Jim inside, taking in the scene before him. There were a few cars lined up with a few different mechanics working on various parts of them. From somewhere off in the back Daryl heard a loud _thump_ followed by a string of curses.

“Daryl, this is T-Dog,” Jim introduced him to one of the mechanics. “You’re going to shadow him for your first few weeks, learn all the ins and outs of the job. Alright?” Daryl nodded. “Okay. I’ll be in my office if anyone needs anything.” Jim headed off in the direction of his little office which was tucked away in a corner of the garage, leaving Daryl standing alone with T-Dog.

“So, kid. You ever do any work on cars?” T-Dog asked.

Daryl shook his head. “Not really,” he admitted.

“First timer, huh? Shit, man, how’d you even get this job? I got five years of experience and Jim almost didn’t even hire me!” T-Dog exclaimed.

“Uh, my girlfriend’s dad got me the job,” Daryl replied. “Guess Jim owed him a few favors or somethin’.”

“Girlfriend’s dad, huh?” T-Dog asked. “Shit, man, he must really like you. I’ve been seein’ my girl Jacqui for almost three years now ‘n her daddy still hates me. He’d never do nothin’ like gettin’ me a job.”

Daryl shifted uncomfortably, not really sure how to go about responding to that.

“Anyway, enough ramblin’. Let’s get to teachin’ you all there is to know about fixin’ up cars, huh?”

Daryl followed along eagerly, ready to learn everything he could about his new job. He was desperate to prove Carol right and make this job work. He wanted to become a man truly worthy of her love, and holding down a steady job once he graduated was the first step towards him doing that. He just hoped that he could pull this off.

*****

“So? How did it go?”

It was after eight o’clock that night, and Daryl had barely gotten in the door when Mrs. Grimes brought him the phone, telling him that it was Carol and she was asking to talk to him.

“It was alright,” he told her. “Jim has me followin’ this guy T-Dog around for a few weeks so I can learn everythin’.”

“And did you like it? Did you have fun?” she asked eagerly.

“Carol, it’s work,” he said with a small laugh. “It ain’t exactly supposed to be fun.”

“I know, I know,” she said. “But did you at least like it?”

“Yeah, I liked it just fine,” Daryl replied. “T seems like a pretty cool guy, ‘n he’s a real good teacher. I think I could be kinda good at this once I learn everythin’.”

“Oh, I knew it!” Carol said excitedly. “I can’t wait to tell my dad, he’ll be so happy you had a good first day of work. And you were worried,” she added in a teasing tone of voice.

Daryl moved into the living room then, situating himself on the couch as he replied. “’Course I was worried, I got a long history of fuckin’ things up,” he said.

“No you don’t,” she said firmly. “Look at us. You haven’t fucked that up. And you never will.”

He smiled silently at that, not even wanting to argue about that. He didn’t ever want to fuck up his relationship with Carol. He didn’t think he could ever live with himself if he did.

“Ya really believe that?” he asked quietly.

“You know I do,” she told him. “I love you, Daryl. And no matter what happens, nothing will ever change that.”

Daryl wasn’t sure about anything else in his entire life, but he knew without a doubt that he believed her. He was going to spend the rest of his life with her. And no matter how hard he tried, Daryl knew he could never think of a better future for himself than that.


	31. Chapter 31

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Oh my gosh, this is it!  
> Sorry for the wait on this chapter for anyone who's actually still reading. I've had so much fun with this story, and I hope everyone reading along has enjoyed it half as much as I have. Thank you so much if you stuck with me for this long. Y'all are the best! :)

**_Epilogue_ **

The adoption was finalized exactly one month before Daryl’s eighteenth birthday. He didn’t really care so much that it had taken so long; he knew how much time and effort Mr. and Mrs. Grimes had put in to making sure that everything was done in time, and he loved both of them a little more for everything they’d done for him.

Now that he was officially a legal member of the Grimes family, everything else in Daryl Dixon’s life seemed to be falling perfectly into place. His job at Jim’s garage was going even better than he’d expected. T-Dog had proved to be a great teacher, and Daryl had already learned more about fixing up cars than he’d anticipated. Jim had actually told him that he’d been impressed with Daryl’s work so far, and he’d formally hired him on as an actual part-time mechanic.

He had a family, he had a job, and the summer after he graduated from high school was easily the best summer of Daryl’s entire life.

He usually worked three or four days a week, but whenever he wasn’t working he made sure to spend his time doing other things to keep busy. He spent plenty of time with Rick, enjoying the feel of finally having the sort of brother he’d always wanted. That meant that he also spent a lot of his time hanging out with Glenn as well, who was exactly the sort of friend that Daryl had always wanted to have.

But by far the highlight of his entire summer was spending as much time as he possibly could with Carol. Of all the good things he had now in his life, she was undoubtedly the best of them all. He’d take her down to the lake, spending time sitting and talking with her, wrapping his arms around her waist and holding her close to him. He still wasn’t sure how he had gotten so damned lucky to find a girl like her, but he was going to spend the rest of his life being grateful that he had her.

*****

As far as Carol was concerned, the best thing that had ever happened to her was meeting Daryl. He was the ray of light that came trickling in through her darkness at a time when darkness was all she could see. She’d been trapped and surrounded by the influences of Ed, and she couldn’t see a way out of it. But then Daryl had come into her life and broken through the shell she had put up around herself, pulling out the pieces of the person she once was and helping to put her back together again. He’d come into her life at the lowest and darkest time of her life, and he was the one who’d pulled her out of it. He’d saved her when nobody else could, and she would always be eternally grateful that he’d come into her life when he did.

Once they’d graduated from high school, Carol finally felt as though all of that darkness was behind her. She hadn’t seen Ed in months, and she’d heard from Michonne that apparently his parents had shipped him off to the west coast to try to get him away from everything that had happened. A fresh start. Little did Ed know that Carol was in the process of doing exactly that with Daryl.

And that’s exactly what it felt like to her – once Daryl had come into her life, it felt as if she’d been given a chance to start over entirely. Ed was behind her and out of her life now. She would never have to see him again, and she was finally able to live her life the way that she wanted without being trapped under somebody else’s thumb.

It was an entirely new experience for her, this feeling of being free. She could finally live her own life, she was going to college, and she had an amazing boyfriend who loved her for being her. The pieces of her life were all finally falling perfectly into place, and Carol knew that she had never been happier.

Daryl had started taking her to the lake that summer, and it was easily her favorite part of that summer. She would sit beside him at the edges of the lake, just holding his hand or relaxing into his embrace.

“You okay?” he asked one such day as they sat side by side by the lake. “You’ve been real quiet today.”

“I’m okay,” she assured him, turning in his arms to plant a gentle kiss to his cheek. “I’m just thinking.”

“Thinkin’ ‘bout what?”

Carol shrugged. “You,” she said. “Me. Ed. Everything.”

He flinched at the sound of Ed’s name, and Carol reached out to give his hand a reassuring squeeze.

“I’ve just been thinking. Back when Ed was a part of my life, I never would have thought I’d be sitting here right now with somebody like you. I never could have even imagined that I could find someone who loves me the way that you do.”

He smiled at that, leaning in to kiss her softly. “Ya know I love you,” he said quietly, resting his forehead gently against hers.

“And you know I love you, too,” she replied. They sat that way for a long time, not wanting to move and disturb the peace of that moment. As she sat wrapped up in Daryl’s arms, Carol knew that at last she had found her happiness. Things were finally going well for her and for Daryl, and Carol knew in her heart that it would stay that way. Where Ed had broken her, Daryl had gently put her back together, healing her wounds and helping her to rebuild herself. And of course, she had also helped him to do the same exact thing. And together, they could finally have everything that either of them had ever wanted. Together, they could both finally be happy.

 

~The End~


End file.
